He's Not Your Son
by AnimeAlexis
Summary: ON HIATUS. Cole Turner has survived for 4 years without Phoebe, raising their son by himself. But what happens when young Warren wants his Mommy?
1. Prologue

**Summary: **Cole Turner has survived for 5 years without Phoebe, raising their son by himself. But what happens when young Warren wants his Mommy?

**Disclaimer:** When I buy it, I'll let you know it's mine.

**Prologue**

Cole Turner sat slumped in an armchair beside the fire. He never seemed to be able to sleep lately. Every time he felt himself drifting off he would jerk awake again, some unknown sense of danger keeping him from resting. It was ridiculous, of course. His New York penthouse was well protected, from both demons and witches. No magic could get in without his knowing. And Cole was well able to take care of himself.

But it wasn't himself Cole was worried about. He had Warren to look out for too. Warren was Cole's son, 5 years old and full of life. By rights Warren shouldn't have been alive at all. He was the impossible child of Cole and a Charmed One. Cole had found Warren when he had been killed the second time. Vanquished in an alternate reality by his wife and her sisters, one of which was supposed to be dead.

But it was the best thing they ever did for him. If the Power of Three hadn't murdered him, he would never have found his son. Would never have clawed his way back into life, determined to make give Warren the life he deserved.

That didn't mean he was going to let the Halliwells know about his son. He wasn't going to find them, thanking them on bended knee for making his life worth living again. No, the only thanks the Charmed Ones would ever receive was Cole's son's name. Warren, in honour of their long dead ancestor. It was the closest to his mother Warren would ever get, if Cole had anything to say about it.

Phoebe Halliwell may once have been Cole's reason for living, but she wasn't any more. She had given up on Cole when she found out he was the Source. Worse, she had been blinded by the Seer's tricks, and had given up on their son. She had betrayed Warren, and for that Cole would never forgive her.

* * *

"Daddy?" a small boy – coincidentally the subject of Cole's thoughts at that moment – walked into the sitting room, rubbing his eyes sleepily. "What are you still doing up?" he asked. Cole chuckled.

"I think I'm supposed to be the one asking that question." Cole replied. He held out his arms and Warren walked into them, sitting up onto Cole's lap. "It's way past your bedtime, War. Why are you up?"

"I had a bad dream, Daddy." Warren replied, snuggling into his fathers chest, seeking comfort from the one person he trusted above all others.

"Oh, dear. What was your dream about?" Cole asked softly.

"Umm, there were these two ladies fighting over me, and I was standing to the side, watching them. And one lady was saying , umm "You can't have him!" and she was holding her tummy, and then the other lady said , uhh "He was never yours" or something, and she screamed, then she exploded. Do you think maybe someone threw a energy ball at her, Daddy?" he queried.

"I don't think so, War." Cole told him, sighing. "I think it was a bit different then that."

"Oh. And who were the ladies, Daddy? The first lady looked so sad."

"One of them was a very bad lady who was vanquished a long time ago." Cole replied.

"She must have done something horrible." Warren decided. Not asking what vanquished meant. Not wondering if the lady was dead. He knew.

_'It's not fair.'_ He thought._ 'Why should my son know the word vanquished at 5 years old? Why should he be so different to other kids?'_ Asking the same question many others had asked before him.

"Daddy?" Warren asked again, shaking his father.

"What? Sorry, buddy, I zoned out for a minute. What did you say?"

"The other lady." His son repeated. "Who was she?"

_'Your mother.'_ Cole said silently.

"I think that's a question for another day, War. Time for bed now." He said aloud, standing and scooping up his son.

"Aww, Daddy! But I'm not tired!" the 5 year old protested, as 5 year olds are apt to do when faced with bedtime.

"No buts, Warren. You have school in the morning." Cole told his son, depositing him in his bed gently. He pulled back the covers and Warren scrambled under them.

"Oh, yeah! We have Show and Tell tomorrow, Daddy! And I'm going to show them my magic tricks!"

"I know." Cole laughed quietly. "You've only been practising for a month now. But Warren, what do you have to remember _not_ to do in school?" His son rolled his eyes, a very odd movement indeed for a kindergartener.

"I'm not to do any real magic. That means no energy balls, no shimmering, and no spells." He huffed.

"That's my boy." Cole said, ruffling his son's hair and leaving the room.

"Bet if I had a mommy, she'd let me do magic." Warren grumbled to himself, as he settled into bed.

Warren was always wondering why he didn't have a mommy. Alice had one, and Julie, and Mark, their mommies dropped them off in the mornings and picked them up from school in the evenings. Some of the kids in his class didn't have daddies, like Warren did. Amy's daddy was in the army, and Liam's didn't live with him and his mommy. But none of them were missing a mom. Warren didn't even know his mommy's name, whenever he brought her up Daddy got really sad and changed the subject.

'_Maybe I could do a spell to call her.'_ Warren deliberated.

"Let's see." He said aloud. Warren had inherited a skill for rhyming from his mother. Spells often entered his head at random, usually when he really needed them.

"So she can come and find me,

Let my voice be heard by Mommy."

He murmured under his breath.

**(A/N:** So it's a crappy spell. He's 5 and I wanted to get this up quickly.

"Mommy!" he called, softly so Cole wouldn't hear him. "Mom! Mommy!" Nothing happened, and Warren, hoping the spell had worked, lay down and dropped off to sleep.

* * *

Outside by the fire, a dozing Cole Turner muttered one word in his sleep.

"Phoebe…"

**AnimeAlexis:** It may not seem like a big deal to you, the readers, but tomorrow is the first anniversary of when I started writing here! So I decided to post the prologue of a new story to celebrate! And yes, I know I said tomorrow, but I'm going to be out of the country then, so I had to post it today. Tell me if you like it, and if you do I'll keep it going!


	2. Phoebe's voices

**Summary: **Cole Turner has survived for 5 years without Phoebe, raising their son by himself. But what happens when young Warren wants his Mommy?

**Disclaimer:** When I buy it, I'll let you know it's mine.

**AnimeAlexis: **Ok, a little sooner than I planned to update this. I wanted to pace myself because I've only got about a chapter or two written. But, I couldn't help myself. I'm putting this up now so you won't hate me when updates are slow. Oh, yeah. Season Eight never happened (But Paige is a social worker again)), they're still themselves and Piper never met Cole in that halfway place.

**Chapter 1**

"Mommy!" Phoebe heard the small voice calling out, and presuming it was either Wyatt or Chris, rolled over to go back to sleep.

"Mom! Mommy!" the voice called again, and Phoebe frowned. It didn't sound like Wyatt, or Chris, now she came to think of it. And it almost sounded like… like it was a magical call, not from her nephews in the room next door, but from somewhere further away. She sat up straight.

"Who's there? What do you want?" she whispered into the air. No one answered, and she thought she was alone again. Then another voice spoke, seeming to have the same distant, echoey quality of the child's voice.

"Phoebe…" It faded away, leaving Phoebe as confused as ever, and somewhat frightened too. She knew _that_ voice for sure.

"Oh, not good." She whispered to herself. "He's back."

* * *

Phoebe looked exhausted when she came downstairs the next morning. She slumped at the kitchen table, and groaned.

"I need coffee." She sighed, reaching for the coffeepot.

"And good morning to you too, sunshine." Piper chirped happily, trying to get a two-year-old Chris to eat some breakfast. Paige looked at Phoebe in concern, however.

"Honey, you don't look too good. Didn't you sleep?"

"No, actually. There was this voice calling out to me in the middle of the night. I thought it was Chris or Wy at first, but it sounded…really weird."

Paige and Piper exchanged glances.

"It sounded like Wy or Chris? How?"

"It was a little kid's voice. A little boy. Calling me 'Mommy'." Phoebe explained. She buried her head in her hands.

"I'm going crazy." She mumbled.

"No, you're not." Piper disagreed.

"Yes, I am, Piper. The little kid's voice wasn't the worst of it. I heard another one, too."

"And…?" Paige prompted.

"It was Cole." Phoebe muttered, her head still in her hands. "I heard Cole's voice."

"You what?" Paige exclaimed. "But Cole's dead! As in, can't come back ever ever dead. Can't contact us dead."

"Apparently not." Phoebe said.

"But that doesn't explain the little boy." Piper mused.

"Leo!" she yelled.

"Coming!" he called back, and came in with Wyatt hoisted on his back.

"Will you take the boys to daycare?" she asked him. "We have to sort out a little magical problem with Phoebe."

"Sure." He agreed, taking them out of the room to get them ready to go.

"Piper." Phoebe protested. "We can't call off the day because of me hearing voices."

"Meanwhile, Paige." Piper continued, ignoring Phoebe. "Can you get someone to cover your shift for you?"

Paige nodded her head. "Michael owes me a favour anyway."

"Paige." Phoebe cut in. "I will be fine. You two have jobs to go to."

"And lastly, Phoebe." Piper turned to the middle sister. "Call Elise and tell her you'll work from home today."

"Piper! Paige!" Phoebe snapped. "It is not _that_ important. Would you please not act as if the world is about to end? You have lives to live, and I have a deadline. This Cole thing? It can wait."

"Actually, Pheebs, when it comes to Cole, it can't wait. Better to be safe then sorry, and all that. And besides, the sooner we deal with the problem, the sooner it's over." Paige said, somewhat grimly.

"But –"

"No buts, Phoebe. We'll sort this now, before it gets any farther." Piper said.

"Fine." Phoebe sighed, seeing she wasn't getting anywhere with her protests. "What do we do?"

"Well, you go back to bed. You need to sleep. Paige and I will scry and write a summoning spell for Cole. We'll wake you up when we're finished."

"Piper, I don't think I'll even be able to sleep. Let me help." The steely look in her eyes and the tone of her voice made it clear any arguing would be useless.

"All right." Piper relented. "Come on." They headed up to the attic to work on a summoning spell, bringing the cordless phone with them. Phoebe and Paige rang into their respective jobs to tell them that they couldn't come in. Paige looked increasingly frustrated as her phone call wore on.

"But Mike…yeah, I guess…ok. No, it's fine. No, seriously. Thanks. Yeah, I'll be in as soon as I can." She hung up and sighed.

"Are you ok?" Piper asked concernedly.

"Yeah. Mike isn't able to work for long today. His cousin's wedding is on at 11. So we need to hurry along or I'll be out of a job." Her sisters nodded and got down to work. Paige and Phoebe started working on vanquishing potions, while Piper lay out a ring of purple and white candles, then went to get crystals.

"Ok." Paige breathed. "So we've made some of our strongest vanquishing potions in case Cole is violent."

"Circle is ready." Piper reported, standing by the carpet with a crystal in hand. Below her lay a ring if crystals , interlaced with lit candles for a séance.

Phoebe and Paige moved over to Piper, Paige with her arms full of potions, and Phoebe holding open the Book of Shadows. She held it out in front of her sisters, and they read together.

"Hear these words, Hear my cry,

Spirit from the other side.

Come to me, I summon thee,

Cross now the great divide."

Nothing happened. They waited a few moments, then tried thee spell again. When it became apparent nothing was going to happen, Piper held up her hands in defeat.

"Maybe he's not dead." Paige suggested.

"Of course he's dead, Paige, we vanquished him. Twice." The eldest of the Charmed Ones replied.

"Exactly. He came back before, who's to say he won't do it again? And besides, Piper, you and Phoebe only vanquished him once."

"Yeah, well, our alternate universe counterparts still count as us."

"Ah, nuh-uh!" Paige replied childishly.

"Yuh-huh." Piper argued.

"Nuh-uh!"

"Yuh-huh!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Yuh-hu –"

"What I wish now let me see,

Send Cole Turner and the child to me."

Phoebe chanted, interrupting her sisters bickering.

"Are you sure that'll work?" Piper asked, breaking off her intellectual debate with her baby sister.

"It already has." Phoebe answered grimly, as a swirl of lights announced Cole's arrival. He was holding the hand of a small boy and grinning. The smile faded as he looked around the room and sighed.

"Daddy? Where are we?" The little boy asked curiously, not seeming at all perturbed by the method of transport. Quickly, Piper dropped the last stone into place, trapping the two in the circle. Immediately, the boy clutched his father's hand tighter.

"We were on our way to school." Cole informed the Charmed Ones. "Warren has to go to kindergarten."

Paige let out a small laugh.

"That's what you say? That?" Cole shrugged.

"What do you expect me to say?"

"I don't know, how about, why am I not dead? Umm, it's been a long time? Or, how about an old favourite, I love you Phoebe and I'm not evil anymore?" Paige retorted sarcastically. Cole rolled his eyes.

"I haven't been dead for quite a while now, Paige. It may have been a long time for you since I saw you last, but not nearly long enough for me. I'm not evil, but that's none of your business. And as for Phoebe," He glared at the witch in question. "I don't love you anymore. Now, if you please? I have a son to get to school and a job to get to."

He indicated the crystals.

"We're not letting you go, Cole. We want answers. Why were you calling Phoebe?" Piper demanded. His brows furrowed, then cleared as he looked down at his son.

"Warren." he said reprovingly, and his son winced. "Did you use magic without my permission again?"

"Well…" he said in a small voice. Cole groaned.

"I will talk to you about this later. For now, if you ask the ladies nicely, maybe they'll let you go to school."

"Cole, we are not letting you go until we get some answers." Paige reaffirmed. "Can't you get that through your head?"

"Look, if you let me go I'll take Warren to school, call in sick to work and come back here. I'm sure you're dying to know what I've been up to."

"How can we trust you?" Phoebe asked disbelievingly.

"You can't." Cole said shortly.

"Then you don't go." Phoebe answered, just as shortly.

"'Scuse me." Warren interrupted, looking at Phoebe. "But we're having Show and Tell today, and Julie's bringing in her pony!"

"Oh, really? Does Julie live on a farm?" Piper asked, grinning at him. He giggled and grinned back.

"There's no farms in New York, silly!" he told her.

"New York?" Phoebe exclaimed.

"Yeah, that's where we are." He said slowly, looking at her oddly.

"No, we – mmph!" Phoebe was cut off by Paige's hand over her mouth.

"What are you bringing in?" Piper asked quickly, with a warning glance at the middle sister.

"I'm going to do some magic tricks!" Warren told her excitedly. "Daddy's been teaching me!"

"Really?" Paige asked, her hand still covering Phoebe's mouth. "Can you show us?"

"Warren, you won't be able to show your friends if we don't get to school! Why don't one of you come with us?" Cole asked the girls. "Then you can make sure that I come back."

"Piper, maybe you should go. You don't have to set up for the band until 3. Phoebe can go into work, and I should go and tell Mike he can go to the wedding. Are you ok with that?" she asked her oldest sister.

"I'll be fine. Call you if I need you." Piper replied. She kicked one of the crystals away from the cage and indicated that Warren and Cole should step out.

"So, should Paige orb us? You can't exactly go back the way you came."

"There's no need. I'll teleport us." Cole replied, grabbing her hand with his free one. They disappeared in a shimmer of light, leaving Paige and Phoebe alone in the attic.

"He's gone. Paige, you know that little boy…"

"Yeah?" Paige asked, indicating for her older sister to continue as she drifted off.

"Nothing. I have to get to work. Orb me over on your way to the office?"

"Gladly." Her sister replied. Taking her hand, they orbed out.

* * *

"Ok, Warren, hurry up and get your stuff, we'll teleport to outside the school since we're already so late." Cole told his son as they materialised inside the apartment. Piper moved towards the window, taking in the view.

"Wow, New York City. Haven't lost your taste for penthouses, I see." She commented lightly, trying to make conversation. "This must have cost a lot."

"I work a lot." Cole snapped. "I want to be able to raise Warren right."

"No need to get snappy Cole, I'm trying to be nice." The ex-demon laughed.

"That's funny. I could've sworn that you were the one who killed me. Twice." Piper winced.

"I know. And I also know that sorry doesn't begin to cover it. But for what it's worth, I'm not saying you did anything wrong to get this place. I know what it's like to want the best for your kids. And I can see that you're doing a fantastic job raising yours."

"Thanks." Cole said grudgingly. "So what about your own family? How's your daughter? And Leo?" he asked, trying to make up. "Last time I saw you, you were quite pregnant, as I remember."

"Yeah, I was, wasn't I?" Piper said, thinking back to about 4 and a half years ago.

"Well?" Cole prompted.

"Well, I have two kids now."

"Two?" Cole interrupted. "I thought in your future you only had one. So what's it like raising two girls? I suppose Phoebe buys a million pink cringey outfits and Paige keeps secretly returning them?" He smiled at her.

"See, there you go with the daughter thing again." Piper told him, laughing. Cole gaped.

"You have a boy?" he queried, shocked.

"Two, actually. Wyatt, who's four, and Chris. He's two." Piper chuckled at the look on Cole's face.

"You have boys?" he repeated.

"So do you." she retorted, starting to get slightly annoyed.

"Yeah. I just –"

"Daddy, I'm ready to go now!" Warren cried, rushing into the room. Cole turned towards his son, a smile lighting his face.

"Ok, buddy, let's go so." He took Warren's hand and held the other out to Piper. After a second's hesitation, she took it, and the penthouse was left empty.

**AnimeAlexis:** There we go! Nice and long just in case I don't get a lot of chances to update again. Review please! You know I love hearing from everyone!


	3. Guess Who's Back

**Summary:**Cole Turner has survived for 5 years without Phoebe, raising their son by himself. But what happens when young Warren wants his Mommy?

**Disclaimer:** When I buy it, I'll let you know it's mine.

**Chapter 2**

"Good morning!" Phoebe called cheerfully to her assistant, trying to forget the events of the morning. She couldn't deal with Cole yet. And the little boy…that was something she wasn't going to think about either. She'd just have to watch and see.

"Any messages?" she asked, shaking her head clear.

_'You're going to forget it, remember?'_ she told herself silently, and tried to tune into what her assistant was saying.

"I told him you wouldn't want to see him, but he insisted. He's in your office waiting for you." She finished.

_'Cole?'_ was Phoebe's immediate thought.

'_But why would Cole be here?' _her brain argued._ 'He's with Piper, dropping Warren to school.'_

"That's ok, Lisa." She replied. "I'll see him. You said he's in my office?"

"Yes, he said his plane just got in. He came straight here."

Phoebe barely heard the words as she walked towards her office. She glanced in the window. She sighed in inaudible relief as she caught sight of the back of the man's head. The hair was light brown, almost blonde, and short. Cole's was slightly longer, black, and curly. She moved towards the office door and walked through it, calmer now she knew the person on there wasn't her ex.

At least, until she walked in and saw the man's face. And realised that it was her ex.

"Hello, Phoebe." Jason Dean greeted her softly.

* * *

"Hello, Mr. Turner! Hey Warren!" a young woman who Piper presumed was Warren's kindergarten teacher said with a smile, walking (or should that be bouncing?) towards the trio.

"And hello… umm, I'm sorry, you're a new face?" the woman directed the last towards Piper.

"Oh, Ms. Connelly, this is Piper. She's, umm –"

"Warren's aunt." Piper interrupted quickly. "Piper Halliwell. How do you do?" She held out her hand to Ms. Connelly, and the teacher took it, grinning, as Warren let his father's hand go and jogged over to his friends.

"Wow, Warren's aunt, huh? I didn't think Cole had any family."

"Oh, he doesn –"

"We don't see each other very often." Cole interrupted hastily. "Big family spilt a while back."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." Ms. Connelly said sympathetically. "It's easy to tell you're siblings, though. You look quite alike." Piper and Cole looked at each other disgustedly, then turned identical glares on the teacher.

"No we don't!" they protested at the same time. Ms. Connelly giggled.

"Yeah, I get that a lot with siblings. Everyone can see the resemblance but them."

"Ew." Piper said decisively, as Ms. Connelly turned to deal with one of her students.

"Seconded." Cole said, disbelieving. "We don't look alike, right?"

"No. No, no, definitely not. I don't think." Piper looked uncertain, and welcomed Warren's interruption.

"Daddy, Ms. Connelly says you can stay here to watch the show and tell, if you want. And, umm, the other lady."

"Oh, that's right!" Piper exclaimed. "I haven't introduced myself yet. Warren, I'm your Aunty Piper." She stuck out her hand to the 5 year old, and he shook it solemnly.

"Pleased to meetcha." He replied. "Well, Daddy, are you and Aunty Piper going to stay?"

"I'm sorry, buddy. I've gotta go. Me and your Aunt Piper and the other ladies you met this morning have to talk about some grownup things. But you can show me when we get home this evening, ok?"

"Ok." Warren replied quietly, clearly disappointed.

"Hey, Warren?" Piper asked, couching down beside him. "Do you think you could show me your magic tricks later? I'd really love to see them. And you know what? I'm sure my sons would love to see you do magic too."

"Really? How old are they?"

"Well, Wyatt's nearly as big as you. He's four years old. And Chris is two. But I know they'd love to see them. If it's alright with your Dad, of course." Warren looked at his father pleadingly, and Cole sighed.

"That's not fair, Piper. You're making my own kid manipulate me."

"Oh, come on, Cole. He has to get to know his family sometime."

"All right." He conceded, and Warren cheered.

"But," he added, pulling Piper to her feet and hissing in her ear. "You are not to let Warren know…"

"What? That Phoebe's his mother?" Piper finished, when Cole seemed to realise that telling her might not be such a good idea.

"Yeah, I figured that out the moment you guys got to the house. Though you're in luck, I don't know if Phoebe or Paige realise. I don't think they do. And anyway, Cole, I –" Here she stopped, and rephrased.

"I won't tell them. If my son can keep a secret for almost a year, then I can keep yours. Don't ask." She added at Cole's puzzled look. "The point is, I'm not going to tell Phoebe if you don't want me to. But sooner or later she's gonna figure it out for herself and then what?"

"Then, I make you all forget we exist and Warren and I go back to the life we were living before you marched back in."

"Cole, I refuse to lose my nephew. I know what it feels like to forget about a child you hold dear, and I will not do that again." Piper growled, her temper flaring up. "And besides Cole, Warren _called_ Phoebe. He _needs_ his mother."

"No, he doesn't. He has me."

"And now he has us too. I am not going to let you take my nephew out of my life. I just won't do it." She stared at him defiantly until he backed down.

"Fine. But if Phoebe finds out…"

"We'll deal. That's what family's for." Piper replied, tone gentling. Cole gave a half grin.

"Family, huh?"

"Yup." Piper confirmed. "Now, you'd better say goodbye to Warren so we can leave and call you in sick."

"Yeah. Warren!" he called.

* * *

"Jason?" Phoebe squeaked in disbelief. "What – what are you doing here?"

"I- uh, I came to see you." He replied hesitantly.

"I gathered that much. Why are you here?" she asked, sitting down behind her desk and beginning to sort through her inbox.

'_Oh god oh god oh god! What the HELL is he doing here? As if I didn't have enough on my plate already with Cole!'_

"I got tired of Hong Kong. And France. And everywhere else I've been running."

"Running? Why were you running?"

"Isn't that obvious? I was scared."

"Of me? Jason, I may be a witch but I'm not evil. It's not like I would curse you, or, or send demons after you or anything." Phoebe snapped, insulted.

"I know. That's not why I kept moving. I just – it felt wrong. I was way out of my depth with you. I mean, a witch? Come on, Phoebe, even you can't say that that happens every day. I just had to get away."

"And break my heart in the process." Phoebe completed.

"I didn't want to. I didn't mean to." Jason looked desperate.

"You were just scared. I get it. But that doesn't explain what the hell you're doing here."

"Like I said, I came to see you. I know it seems a bit inadequate now, after nearly four years, but I wanted to apologise. I'm so sorry for hurting you, Phoebe."

"That's it?" Phoebe shook her head. "That's why you came half way across the world?"

"Well, no. That's part of it, of course, but not all." He admitted.

"So what is it then, Jason?"

'_My head hurts.'_ Phoebe thought, dropping it onto her hands and barely hearing Jason's next words. _'I want to go home and sleep.'_

"…and I just had to see you again." Jason finished across from her, an earnest look in his eyes.

"What are you trying to say?" Phoebe asked tiredly.

"I'm saying I still love you, Phoebe. I know it'll take you a while to forgive me, but maybe I could take you out sometime?" Phoebe gaped at him in complete and utter astonishment..

"You what!"

'_Oh, shit. Fantastic, this is just what I needed.'_

"Jason, I can't handle this right now. There's a lot going on." She gathered her stuff and started to make a hasty retreat from the office.

"Phoebe, wait –"

"I'll call you, Jason!" Phoebe half-yelled as she exited the office. She gasped as she bumped into her assistant.

"Oh, sorry, Phoebe."

"That's ok, Lisa. You just startled me, that's all. _Get rid of him!"_ she hissed in a low voice, then raised it as she continued. "Tell Elise I have to work from home today, ok? I'll email in the column before the deadline._ Please!_" she begged vehemently, gripping the assistant's arm. When Lisa nodded, she sighed in relief and smiled, then hastily left the _Bay Mirror_.

**AnimeAlexis:** So that's just about all I have for you at the moment. I know it was short, but it's up! Oh, and don't hate me for the pathetic wimp that Jason is. He'll get better, I promise! He's just hard to write without making him OOC.


	4. Conversations

**Summary:** Cole Turner has survived for 5 years without Phoebe, raising their son by himself. But what happens when young Warren wants his Mommy?

**Disclaimer:** When I buy it, I'll let you know it's mine.

**Chapter 3**

Cole and Piper appeared in the Manor. As they came into the sitting room, Leo appeared from the kitchen.

"There you are, Piper! Where did…you… Cole?" he questioned, blinking a few times before rubbing at his eyes.

"In the flesh." Cole replied, a grin on his face.

"Uh-huh. Piper, can I talk to you for a second? In the kitchen?" He grabbed her arm, and she smiled at Cole as he pulled her away.

"Make yourself at home." In the kitchen, Leo exploded quietly.

"Piper, what the hell is the ex-Source of all Evil doing here? In our house? Isn't he supposed to be _dead_!"

"Oh, don't be so overdramatic, Leo." Piper answered, pulling her arm out of her husband's grasp. "I told you this morning we had to sort out a little situation."

"Yes, but you didn't say you'd be bringing the situation HOME!" he exclaimed, indicating the doorway. "What about the boys? What if he tries to attack them?"

"Leo, don't be ridiculous. He's not evil."

"So he says." Leo muttered.

"No, so I say. He didn't come here looking to make trouble, Leo. Actually, he didn't want to come here at all." Quickly, she explained the events of her morning to him, watching as he deflated slowly.

"I just don't get it. You say he has a son?" Leo queried. Piper had kept her promise to Cole, omitting in her story the fact that Warren was Phoebe's son. Now, she nodded.

"Warren. He's five."

"Five?" Leo asked, the cogs in his mind working overtime.

"Yeah, he's only a little bit older than Wyatt. Why?"

"Oh. Nothing. Never mind."

"Well, do you think you could try to be civil? For a while, at least." Piper requested of him. Leo nodded.

"I can try." He said grudgingly. A slam from the front door brought the two out into the hall, where Phoebe was storming in. Cole met them there, causing Phoebe to glare at him in slight surprise.

"Oh, right. You're here. I should've guessed."

"Guessed what?" he asked, inwardly sighing.

_'Here comes the blame.'_ He had hoped, after Piper's civil acceptance, that meeting the rest of them again wouldn't be so bad. But there had been Leo's horror (though glancing at him suggested he seemed to have gotten over that), and now this. He readied himself for the assault. And sure enough, it came.

"Guessed that it would be because you're here. Every time you show up in my life, I have a never-ending stream of bad luck."

"Why, what happened?" Leo asked worriedly. "Was it a demon?"

"You could say that!" Phoebe answered. " Jason was waiting for me at the office."

"Jason. Jason Dean Jason?" Piper questioned, feeling a mix of shock and amusement at Phoebe's face. She fought down a grin, but some trace of it must have showed on her face.

"This is not _funny, _Piper!" Phoebe raged. "Every time _he_ comes along, something like this happens."

"Wait, every time _I _come along? Phoebe, you were the one that summoned me! I didn't want to come into your life, Warren and I were just fine until you called us! I can't believe how selfish you are! I am _not _EVIL anymore, Phoebe. I'm _not _out to reign destruction down on you. Hell, I don't even want to be here! I didn't put a curse on you, if that's what you think!" At this, Phoebe swallowed her retort.

_'Jason, I may be a witch but I'm not evil. I wouldn't curse you!'_ she recalled her earlier conversation with Jason. Cole saw that something he had said must have gotten through to her, and shut his mouth to prevent any unwanted information from slipping out. Bad enough that Piper had figured out Warren was Phoebe's son.

"I should go." he breathed, and turning, teleported out, ignoring Piper's shouted "Cole!". Piper threw up her hands.

"Now look what you've done." She shot at her younger sister.

"What, wait. Me? I didn't do anything!" Phoebe protested.

"Oh, no? What do you call yelling at him for absolutely no reason? Your problems with Jason are exactly that, Phoebe. Your problem. Cole didn't do anything. He didn't even want to be here!" She glared at Phoebe, who glared back, unable to believe that Piper was blaming her for this. The standoff continued until Paige orbed in, rubbing her hands together.

"Ok, so where's Cole? I want some answers." She demanded. "And I only have like a 15 minute break in which to get them."

"He's not here." Piper replied, still locked in a glaring match with Phoebe. "Phoebe scared him off. Do you think maybe you could go get him?"

"I don't know where he lives." She protested.

"You can orb to him, rather than to a place, Paige, you know that. I'll go with you." Leo volunteered, eager to escape the feud. He grabbed her hand and urged her to go. Piper and Phoebe were left locked in their battle of will, until Phoebe turned her head.

"Hah, I win." Piper said triumphantly. Phoebe stuck out her tongue.

* * *

"Cole?" Paige called to the empty apartment. "Cole, where are you?"

"Go away, Paige." He called dully, again seated in his armchair beside the now burned out fire.

"Piper sent us to get you." Leo said, trying for her sake to be civil. Cole snorted.

"You know, that's actually surprising. Of all of you, possibly excepting Phoebe, I thought Piper would be the one to hate me the most. Yet she's the only one willing to give me a chance. Not," he added hastily. "that I wanted one. I was quite happy without the Halliwell clan in my life. But it's surprising." Leo and Paige exchanged glances, feeling guilty and slightly mortified.

"Well, I think it's probably because Piper has learned not to take everything at face value." Leo explained. "A while back, we made a huge mistake. We thought that someone who ended up very close to us was evil.."

"Partly because his neurosis forbid him from telling us who he actually was." Paige interrupted.

"But in the end, he wasn't. And we lost him too soon. Since then, Piper, more so than anyone, tries to give people a second chance to make an impression. We should be taking lessons from her, I suppose." Leo realised. Paige evidently agreed.

"If Piper thinks you're not evil, then I suppose I don't either. Why does Piper think you're not evil?"

"Paige…" Leo warned.

"What? It's an innocent question. I can't help it if I need reasons for things." Cole chuckled half-heartedly.

"Now there's the Paige I remember. I was a bit worried there when you just trusted me. But I get why Piper does now. Losing someone you love is awful."

"Yes, it was." Leo agreed softly. Cole looked at him sharply.

"Piper mentioned her son being able to keep a secret earlier. I might be leaping to conclusions here, but is this the same person?"

"We'll explain that later." Paige said hurriedly. "Right now I'm on a break that's going to end up finishing before I get my answers so if you'd be so kind?" Without standing, Cole teleported out. Paige offered her hand to Leo and they followed.

* * *

Piper leapt up from her seat as Cole appeared, followed by Paige's orbs a second later. She gave her husband a quick hug and sat on his lap as he seated himself in one of the armchairs. Paige sat beside Phoebe on the couch, and Cole hesitantly took the armchair across from Piper and Leo.

"So what do want to know?" he started the question and answer session off.

"Most pressing, how are you not dead?" Paige enquired.

"I was dead, for a while. That's how I found Warren, because he was dead too. When I found him, he was so small. Just a newborn baby. I was appalled. It just wasn't fair to him that his life was cut off so early. So I found a way out."

"So Warren's not really your son?" Phoebe asked, at the same time as Piper's "How did you find your way out?"

"No, he really is my son. He was – miscarried – before he was born."

"What an awful thing to happen twice." Piper commented. When Cole glared at her sharply, she grinned, then subsided.

"It was terrible. But he gave me hope, and determination. I knew I had to get a way out, so he could have the life he was meant to. The magic that I had gathered in the demonic plain was the key. I – sort of made a deal."

"With demons?" Phoebe asked immediately, accusing.

"No. With the Elders." Cole retorted. "I agreed to give up the powers I had collected, if they would let me and my son live. I only kept three. Energy balls, teleportation, and a shield. Only enough to keep Warren safe. In return for me getting rid of the massive amount of powers I had (and obviously ensuring no other demon could ever use them), the Elders decided that I could have another chance at life, with Warren."

"Can they do that?" Piper asked Leo, swivelling around to face him.

"I've never heard of it happen before, but I suppose these were rather extreme circumstances."

"Huh, nice to know they can do something decent for once." Piper said.

"Anyway, go on." Paige motioned to Cole to continue the story.

"Well, we got out. I went to some old friends of mine. Half demons like me that had turned good. Most of them didn't practise magic anymore, but they were great babysitters. I got two jobs, or three, I think, at one time. My records preceded me as a lawyer and people were only too happy to hire me. Warren and I worked our way along, eventually settling in New York. Warren still goes to my friends after school when I'm on double shifts."

"Who's Warren's mother?" Paige raised the awkward question.

"I can't tell you that." Cole responded.

"Why not?" Phoebe countered.

"Because it's none of your business, Phoebe." He argued. She opened her mouth to make a rejoinder, but Leo got in before her.

"He makes a valid point, Phoebe. It is none of our business."

"But – oh, fine. Everyone gang up on me today." She mumbled. Cole shot Leo a grateful look.

"So what else would you like to know?" he kept going, moving the conversation along.

"Going back to my earlier question, how do we know that Piper's right? Why are you trustworthy? What about my nephews? How can I know you're not going to hurt them?"

"Because first of all, I'm not evil. And second, I'm a father. I wouldn't do anything that would hurt Warren, and that includes not hurting you and risking you come after me. Thirdly, if the Elders trust me, why can't you?"

"Ok, I get the first two points." Piper replied. "But don't bring up the Elders."

"Yeah, we don't like them very much here." Paige agreed.

"Why?" Cole enquired.

"Long story. We'll explain ours once you've explained yours."

"Well, I think that that's pretty much it. My life really isn't that exciting." He commented, finishing up. "So can I ask some of the questions now?"

"Sure." Piper said, looking surprised when Phoebe voiced no opposition. "Ask away."

"How did you end up with two boys? Weren't you expecting a daughter?"

"Well, see, we never got an ultrasound with Wyatt. These two were all gung-ho that I shouldn't go to the hospital. They were afraid the baby would expose magic, like when –" Piper bit her lip.

_'Shit! Don't let it out.'_ She berated herself. Cole understood what she was talking about, and covered it up.

"When Phoebe's and my baby exposed magic. But I wouldn't think that would stop you."

"Yeah, well, they can be very persuasive. Especially when they were training to be midwives. In the end, I didn't have a choice. Wyatt came really unexpectedly."

"And your other son?"

"Well, we knew Chris was going to be a boy straight away. And for some of us, even before he was conceived." She added, jabbing at her sisters.

"Yeah, well, it wasn't our secret to tell, Piper. Believe me, we tried to persuade Chris to tell you." Phoebe assured her.

"Wait, hold on. Isn't Chris two?" Cole asked, bemused, remembering what Piper had said earlier.

"Yeah, he is now." Paige explained. "This was when he came back from the future."

"And when and why would he do that? Messing with time-travel is a dangerous thing."

"About two, nearly three years ago now." Phoebe told him. "He came back to stop Wyatt from turning evil."

"And he died." Cole assumed, fitting the pieces together. "How?"

"He was stabbed. By an Elder, when he was trying to protect his brother." Leo inserted, looking pained.

"By an Elder? So that's why you hate them so much."

"Partly." Piper agreed, as Paige looked at her watch.

"Shit! I'm like 10 minutes late! Mr. Cowan's going to kill me." She swore.

"Well then, go!" Phoebe told her. Paige nodded, and orbed out hurriedly.

"She's a social worker again?" Cole asked.

"Yep. She went through her super-witch phase, her temp-job phase, and her stay-at-home aunt phase, before realising helping people, especially children, was what she wanted. And then she got called to be a Whitelighter too." Piper told him.

"Wow, you people have screwed up lives." Cole grinned.

"They're not so bad now. We don't use magic that much anymore. Oh, and that's the other thing. The boys don't know anything about magic, so please don't do any real magic around them."

"Why?" Cole asked. "Did you bind their powers?"

"Yes. About a year and a half ago. I just – we just got sick of demons coming after them all the time. I wanted them to be safe."

"So what happens when you have more kids, and they have powers?"

"We haven't thought that far ahead yet, really." Leo explained. "It's easier than I thought it would be at first, though. Especially now, considering that I don't have my powers." Cole gaped.

"If you don't have powers, then shouldn't you be dead?" he stumbled over the words, aware of how tactless they sounded. Piper and Leo both laughed, and even Phoebe mustered a smile. They spent the rest of the morning filling Cole in on the so-called "mess" that was their lives, until he had to go pick Warren up from kindergarten, and Leo left to pick the boys up from their playschool.

Phoebe and Piper, while they were waiting, decided to talk through their different opinions on the matter of Cole coming back into their lives, and the matter of Jason.

**AnimeAlexis:** Wow, that was hard to write. I couldn't seem to stop, once I got started. I have a whole other story to explain about the boys powers, but it'll ruin this story. I'll post it when this is done, if people are interested enough! And of course, review this if you like it!


	5. The Wonderous Warreno

**Summary:** Cole Turner has survived for 5 years without Phoebe, raising their son by himself. But what happens when young Warren wants his Mommy?

**Disclaimer:** When I buy it, I'll let you know it's mine.

**Chapter 4**

"So, are you going to tell me about it?" Piper asked her younger sister.

"Tell you about what? I don't have to explain about Cole to you, Piper." Phoebe defended.

"Actually, I was talking about your other ex. Jason." Piper replied calmly.

"Oh. I don't wanna talk about him either, Piper."

"Why not?"

"Because…I just don't get it." She burst out. "Cole comes back. With a kid in tow, no less. And then Jason comes back into my life? He thought I was evil, Piper. But then he said he still loves me."

"And how do you feel about this?" Piper prodded. Phoebe snorted.

"You realise that that's exactly what psychiatrists say? Actually, it's about the only thing they say to patients."

"Well, I learn from the master. But what do you think?" she asked, in all seriousness.

"I don't know. I still love him, I guess. But Piper, he wasn't willing to give me a chance when I told him the truth." She stopped, as a thought struck her.

"So why should I give him a chance now? Oh, God." She drew in a deep breath.

"What? What's wrong?" Piper asked sharply, looking around her for the demon.

"That's how Cole feels. I felt it earlier, but I didn't get it. Oh, Piper. I must have broken his heart." She shuddered. Piper wrapped her sister in a hug.

"You didn't know. You thought he was evil. We all did. But Pheebs, he's not evil anymore. Can you give him a chance?" Phoebe nodded. She pulled back from the hug, and Piper realised her eyes were studded with tears.

"I can give him a chance. Piper, you know Warren?"

"What about him?" Piper asked suspiciously.

"Well, did he seem – I don't know – familiar to you?"

"How do you mean?" Piper replied, feigning innocence.

"I don't know, he reminds me of someone. And it's not Cole." She held up a hand as Piper moved to speak.

"It's someone else." She mused, mostly to herself. She had been trying to figure it out all day.

_'Maybe…'_ She tuned back into the conversation as Piper started speaking again.

"Hmm, sorry?"

"I said, what about Jason?" Piper repeated. "I mean, he clearly still loves you. On the other hand, he did abandon you for five years. Are you going to give him a second chance?"

Her ploy succeeded in turning Phoebe's mind away from the child that, as yet, she didn't know was hers. Phoebe pondered the merits of getting back together with Jason, and Piper waited for her to answer, inwardly relieved.

'Do I give Jason a second chance?' Phoebe was wondering. 'I do still love him. But I don't know if I can let him hurt me again. What if he sees me doing magic and freaks out? What if he decides to tell someone about us?' The more rational part of her debated that if Jason were going to tell anyone, he would have done it by now. For God's sake, the man owned newspapers and television stations across the globe. And he was a journalist. Exposing Phoebe and her sisters would have been the biggest scoop of his life. He must love her if he had made the decision not to give her up to the media. Mustn't he? 

"I think I'll give him a chance." She told Piper, looking at the older sister that was patiently waiting for her reply. "And before you say anything, yes, I've thought about it, and yes, I think I can trust him. I want to trust him."

"Well, if you think he's ok, then who am I to argue? Just don't do anything rash Phoebe, please." Piper shrugged her shoulders. The middle sister smiled and nodded.

"Cross my heart." She joked, crossing her fingers in an 'x' motion over her chest.

"Can't say that, Pheebs. In this house, who knows what it could do." She warned, laughing. Phoebe frowned.

"Good point." She took a deep breath. "I'm gonna call Jason. Tell him…I dunno. Maybe we should just start over."

"A good idea. Start with a date, and see how it goes." Piper advised. "Just take it slowly." Phoebe nodded. She fished out her cellphone from her pocket and dialled Jason's number. Standing, Piper left for the kitchen to give her some privacy.

* * *

"Daddy!" Warren squealed, as he caught a glimpse of his father by the classroom door.

"I wasn't sure when you were coming back, or if I was supposed to go with somebody else today or what!" He dashed towards Cole, who swung his young son up into the air. Settling Warren on his hip, Cole enquired curiously

"Oh really? You thought I was gone missing, did you?"

"Well, everyone else is already gone!" Warren observed, as the pair left the classroom. "Maria's mommy offered for me to go to her house for a while, but I said that I had to go to Aunty Piper's house to show – to show…"

"Wyatt and Chris." Cole supplied, seeing his son struggle with the names.

"Yeah, Wyatt and Chris. I told Maria's mom I was going to show them my magic tricks. So are we going, daddy?" Inwardly, Cole groaned.

_'Great. No chance of getting out of it, I suppose.' _He thought, still uncomfortable with the whole situation. Aloud he asked,

"Do you still want to go, Warren?" His son nodded.

"Well, then I suppose we're going!" Cole responded to the action, falsely cheerful, a smile pasted on his face. He only prayed Phoebe wouldn't pick any more arguments, for Warren's sake as well as his own. He checked that Warren had everything, then disappeared to San Francisco.

* * *

He reappeared in the Halliwell's Manor, steeling himself for another argument with his ex-wife. He was stunned when she looked up from her phone and smiled at him. Okay, so it was a little forced, but it was still a smile. At him.

"Yeah, Jason. Ok. See you then, sweetie. Bye." She hung up the phone and sighed happily.

"Hey Cole." She greeted off-hand. "And Warren too. Hey sweetie, how are you?" The pet name flowed easily from her mouth, and she wondered for a second why that was.

"I'm fine. Where's Aunty Piper?" Warren asked.

_'Aunty Piper?'_ Phoebe furrowed her brow, and shot a curious glance at Cole. He shrugged.

"Piper introduced herself to Warren's teacher as my sister. Well, actually, she just said Warren's aunt, but the teacher took it that she was my sister. She even said we look alike." He looked weirded out, and Phoebe laughed.

_'Ok, so she's not killing me. This isn't so bad.'_ He mused.

"Oh, good, Cole, you're here!" Piper said, coming into the room. "Leo and the boys are almost here. Hey War! How did school go? Did everyone like your show?"

"Yeah!" he exclaimed, beaming at his aunt. He embarked on a lengthy explanation of his show, interrupted twice by Paige's orbing in and Leo coming in with the kids. Piper persuaded her youngest sister that she had to stay to watch the magic show, and Paige reluctantly agreed. They set up a stage in the conservatory, and the Halliwells, Leo, Paige and Cole gathered to watch Warren's exhibition.

* * *

"Ladies and gentleman!" Warren exclaimed when they were all settled, standing proud in a top hat and cloak. He was positioned before a low coffee table, his magic trick regalia spread out in front of him. In his fist, he clutched a fake black and white wand.

"Welcome to the fantabulous show of the Wondrous Warreno!" Here he paused for applause, which was duly given to him.

His assembled audience watched him. Leo chuckled at his words, while Wyatt and Chris were enraptured. Phoebe and Paige smiled fondly at the youngster. Piper gazed at her nephew proudly, unaware that her expression was mirrored in Cole's face as he watched his son.

Warren's performance was amusing, if not exactly successful magic-wise. He looked everywhere for the plush rabbit that was supposed to come out of his hat, eventually giving up. A few tricks later, Chris found it propped behind Wyatt. And Phoebe continually chose the wrong card out of the deck that the 5 year old offered her. Nevertheless, he got rousing cheers and standing ovations from his small audience as he finished. Warren beamed as he took his bows.

"Mommy, look!" Chris cried suddenly, pointing at his cousin's feet.

"He's floating!" Wyatt exclaimed, peering at him. Cole hurriedly scooped up his son as the adults noticed that Warren was, indeed, a foot off the floor.

"Warren! What did I say about using magic like that?" Cole reproved the young boy in his arms.

"I'm sorry." Warren whispered meekly to his father. Phoebe felt a surge of anger. The magic had been accidental, after all.

"Cole! Don't be so hard on him. I'm sure he didn't mean it, did you, sweetie?" Phoebe addressed the boy she was beginning to get fond of. Warren shook his head.

"I really didn't. It was an axident." He maintained, looking from Cole to Phoebe and back.

"It's ok, War. I know you didn't mean it. But you've got to be more careful, all right? And Phoebe, I would appreciate it if you didn't tell me how to raise my child." He shot at his ex-wife. Yet _another_ impending argument was stopped by Paige's gasp.

"Oh, my God!" she exclaimed, as the piece's clicked together to form a picture.

'_She knows.'_ Piper realised, heart sinking. Shooting a glance at Cole, she addressed her baby sister.

"Paige, kitchen, now." She tugged Paige's arm and the young witch followed her into the kitchen.

**AnimeAlexis:** Yay, new chapter! And I have half of chapter 5 written too. Oh, and for those of you who follow it, there should be a new chap of Arrival up within a few days. As always, please review!


	6. Figuring Out

**Summary:** Cole Turner has survived for 4 years without Phoebe, raising their son by himself. But what happens when young Warren wants his Mommy?

**Disclaimer:** When I buy it, I'll let you know it's mine.

**AnimeAlexis:** Before I start this, I'm just going to tell you that I've changed the kids' ages, making the three a year younger than I originally said. So Warren's four, Wyatt's three, and Chris is two. For reference, this is set in January 2007. :-)

**Chapter 5**

"Oh, oh, oh!" Paige kept muttering as Piper and herself relocated to the kitchen.

"Warren, he – and that's Phoebe's – and you knew! But you didn't - and Cole just – Piper!" she rambled, slightly hysterical.

"Babbling." Her older sister informed her. "Slow down, form coherent sentences, and explain what you're thinking." Piper commanded. Paige inhaled deeply, then exhaled slowly.

"Warren is Phoebe's son, isn't he?" Paige demanded.

"What? No! What gave you that idea?" Piper laughed. Paige settled her hands on her hips.

"If Phoebe's baby survived, it would have been about four now. Warren's age. Second, Warren has Phoebe's hair colour, and her mouth. Thirdly, he has her _powers._ Or at least one of them. Levitation. And fourth, there's his name. War-ren. As in Melinda, Pruedence, Charlotte and Cassandra. As in our line, and our heritage. Need I go on?"

"Um, now that you mention it…" Piper tried lamely.

"Hah! I knew it! You knew already, Piper. Why didn't you tell us? Why am I always the last to find out about my nephews? It's becoming a disturbing pattern."

"Ssh, Paige, keep your voice down." Piper hissed. "You're not the last to find out. Leo, Wyatt, Chris and Phoebe don't know yet. Paige, Warren doesn't know yet." Paige's mouth opened in a small 'ooh'.

"Exactly. And Cole doesn't want them to know. He's got a right as Warren's father that I think we should respect."

"Phoebe has a right too, Piper. As Warren's mother. To know who her child is, to know that she is a mother." She held up her hands in placation, anticipating her eldest sister's argument. "But don't worry, I won't tell. It's not my business to say."

"Good." Piper acknowledged. "Now, give me a hand. We need to look like we're doing something in here."

She bustled around the kitchen, taking out ingredients for lunch. Paige stuck her head out the door to find out how many were having lunch. Cole hesitated, but Warren stuck up his hand eagerly, so his father sighed and nodded at Paige, receiving a wink in return.

'_Great. She knows too then. Well, Paige and Piper are usually good at keeping secrets. It was always Phoebe we had to worry about, and it's her we're keeping it from.'_ He rationalised. He was slightly disappointed, though.

'_She didn't even notice he was levitating. Her two and four year old nephews found out before she did.'_ It had been explained to Wyatt and Chris that Warren floating had been just another part of the magic show, and they were suitably impressed. After Paige figured out their lunch plans, Leo had sent the three off to play. Wyatt and Chris were showing Warren around the house, and Leo and Phoebe were discussing some problem about Phoebe's job.

'_I suppose Whitelighter tendencies to try and fix their charge's problems never really go away.'_ Cole thought. He excused himself to go and offer help in the kitchen.

Even if she was being slightly more civil to him, he didn't want to be in the same room with Phoebe for too long. Every movement she made, everything she said brought back memories.

'_This whole house brings back too many memories. But not as many as her.'_ He thought. The annoying inner voice that is always looking for an argument decided to insert an opinion.

'**_If you'd really moved on, it wouldn't be so painful.' _**It told Cole. He groaned.

'_Not this again!'_ he complained. The voice seemed intent on proving that three and a half years of getting over Phoebe Halliwell had been nothing but denial.

'_Look.'_ He argued, at the same time wondering if he was crazy for even acknowledging it's existence. _'I am not in love with her. I may have been once, but she proved – by killing me, I might add – that our love meant nothing to her. She gave up on me, and on Warren!'_

'_**Sure. And you were never evil.'**_

'_What has that got to do with anything?'_

'_**I'm making a comparison. You denying your love for Phoebe would be like you trying to deny that you were ever Belthazor. Phoebe is only human. The Seer tricked her into thinking that Warren was evil, and that he wasn't ever her son.'**_

'_But why didn't she know! She should have known that it wasn't Warren that was evil. And how could she ever even _think_ that he wasn't ours? Why didn't she _try_?'_

'**_She did.'_** It told her solemnly. **_'She was going to keep him, even after you died. In the end, it was out of her hands. There was nothing she could do to keep him.'_**

'_How do you know this, anyway?'_ he asked it bitterly.

'**_Because I'm you, you idiot. And deep down, you know that she had a reason for what she did.'_** It told him smugly. He shook the voice out of his head for the moment, telling himself that it wasn't real, and talking to himself was crazy. Realising he had stopped in the middle of the hall, he headed once more for the kitchen. Piper grinned at him as he came through the door.

"You can help with lunch!" she told him cheerfully.

"Uh, sure. What do you need help with?" he asked hesitantly.

"Umm, here." Paige said, handing him the lemons and squeezer. He looked at them in disbelief.

"You know you can buy packs of powdered lemonade, don't you?" he pointed out. Paige shrugged.

"You know Piper." She replied. "Has to be from scratch or it insults her ability as a cook." The witch in question stuck out her tongue at her baby sister.

"I resent that. Just because I like to make things by hand…"

"Yeah, but Piper, it's lemonade. And you're not even making it. Cole is. Actually, now you're here I can get back to work." She informed him. He looked confusedly at Paige as he started working.

"Weren't you at work already?" he questioned.

"Yeah, but being a social worker, even if it's not exactly nine to five, does require more than a morning's work." She mentioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Right, of course." Cole said, embarrassed. Paige cocked her head at him.

"Mind if I ask you something?" she asked.

"Shoot." He answered.

"Well, wasn't Phoebe's baby evil? I mean, it wasn't even hers."

"Umm, actually it was. Ours, I mean. The whole being evil was a direct result of the Seer's tonics. You didn't think they only affected Phoebe, did you?" he laughed.

"Well, actually, yeah." She admitted. "I guess not everyone was as evil as we thought."

"Yeah, Warren's a good kid." He smiled fondly. "I should know, I raised him. And no, Paige, before you ask. I've never let him use magic for personal gain. Or evil."

"I wasn't going to ask." Paige protested. "Ok, so maybe I was. But out of idle curiosity. I don't really think you're evil. Anymore."

"Paige, work." Piper reminded her, loading plates and cups onto a tray.

"Right. Work. Okay, see you later, Piper. And Cole, don't just disappear on us. I want to get to know my nephew!" She grabbed her keys and handbag and went to say goodbye to Phoebe and Leo.

"Umm, ok then." He said as she left the room. "Is it me or are you all a lot more cheerful lately?" he asked Piper.

"Well, we barely have to deal with demon attacks anymore. They just stay away from us, and we stay away from them. It makes for a lot less stress." She replied.

"You just stay away from them? But you're the Charmed Ones. You mean to tell me you just let demons do what they want?" Cole was incredulous. "What happened to the most powerful witches in the world?"

"They retired." Piper told him shortly. "Look, Cole, I know you don't get it, but none of us wanted magic. None of us wanted demons, or warlocks, or time-travelling, or Whitelighters, or Elders. When the Angel of Destiny offered us a chance to give it up, it just wasn't our time. But then demons kept attacking us. We had to give up our lives again and again and again for magic. People _kept _trying to take_ my sons_ from me! And because of _that_, Leo had to watch his son – our son – die in his arms. Binding the boys powers was a way to keep them safe. But we can't keep them safe if we don't keep ourselves safe. So we retired. We don't go looking for trouble anymore, Cole. And I don't expect you to get it, or like it. But respect our choice."

"I can do that. Just don't expect me to bind Warren's powers because he's part Halliwell. He may be Phoebe's son, but he was my son first, and I'm raising him just fine with magic in our lives. It's what we _owe_ our lives to. Good magic."

"So I was right." A calm voice interrupted them. Cole and Piper whirled around to find Leo in the doorway.

"Oh shit." Cole muttered, stopping work. The lemonade was just about done anyway. Piper slapped him lightly on the arm.

"Mind your language." She warned.

"Yes Mother." Cole muttered, rubbing his arm. Piper smiled, facing Leo.

"Um, what were you right about, honey? And where's Phoebe?" she quizzed her husband.

"Phoebe hitched a lift with Paige. She figured since she's not avoiding Jason it would be ok to go into the office. And as for what I was right about, Phoebe is Warren's mother, isn't she?" Piper huffed out a breath and looked from Leo to Cole.

"How long have you known?" the ex-demon asked his former brother in law. Leo shrugged.

"Since you started talking about him. The name is the big giveaway. But the levitation didn't help, and Piper dragging Paige into the kitchen straight after Paige started figuring it out only confirmed it. I'm, uh, guessing Phoebe doesn't know?"

"You guessed right. And I don't want her to know, so under no circumstances tell her!" Cole retaliated. Leo held up his hands in a 'peacemaker' gesture.

"Easy, Cole. I'm not going to tell her. Though it's only a matter of time before these things come out, you know."

"And how do you know?" Cole snapped. Leo's face flashed in pain for a minute, before hardening.

"I know." He said solemnly. Cole sighed.

"Right. Chris. Sorry. It's just hard to handle. Yesterday the only connection we had to your family was Warren's name. Now Warren has two aunts, an uncle and two cousins, and it's all I can do to keep this a secret from his mother. As if I hadn't enough on my hands." Leo frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, you know. Four year olds casting spells, demons chasing after the son of a Charmed One and the ex-Source. Oh, that reminds me." He opened his mouth to yell, then closed it and turned to the couple.

"You don't mind if I call my Whitelighter, do you?" Piper stared in disbelief.

"_You_ have a Whitelighter?" He shrugged.

"Of course. Warren's half witch and the Elders wanted to keep an eye on me. Plus, I make sure he stays away from drink." He said matter-of-factly.

"Why do you need to call him?" Leo asked.

"Well, first off I have to tell him about Warren's new power."

"New?" Piper interrupted.

"Yep. He's never levitated before. I think – though I hope I'm wrong – that it might have been because Phoebe was there."

"Phoebe? What's Phoebe got to do with it?" Piper queried.

"Well, it's one of her powers, isn't it?"

"What's the other reason you want to call whoever this is?" Leo broke in smoothly. Cole shrugged again, sheepishly.

"I think he might want to see the Manor again." He looked at Piper for permission.

"Oh, fine. As long as the boys don't see." She pronounced, presuming the comment he made about the Manor referred to before their time. Maybe the whitelighter had been a friend of Mom's, or Grams in her hippie stage. Leo, for his part, wondered if he knew Cole's whitelighter.

"Sam!" Cole called.


	7. An Unexpected Guest

**Summary:** Cole Turner has survived for 4 years without Phoebe, raising their son by himself. But what happens when young Warren wants his Mommy?

**Disclaimer:** When I buy it, I'll let you know it's mine.

**Chapter 6**

Orb lights flooded the room as Cole's whitelighter materialised. Piper's jaw dropped.

"You!" she yelled, and promptly blew him up.

"What was that for?" Cole asked curiously, as the angel reformed.

"Dammit, Piper, that hurt!" he yelled.

"Serves you right. You _promised_ Paige you'd be around more often!" Piper cried, glaring at him.

"I have more than one charge! I can't be with Paige all the time!" Sam protested.

"You have more than one charge!" Piper exclaimed in disbelief. " We haven't seen you in five years, and that's the best you can come up with? I suppose you have more than one daughter, as well?" She blew him up again, and Leo grabbed her hands and forced them to her sides.

"Not the time." He told her calmly. Cole looked on amusedly as Sam appeared again, wincing.

"Ow. Cole, did you summon me here just to get blown up?"

"No." Cole said innocently. His grin widened. "Though I can't say it wasn't fun to watch!"

"Ha ha. Let's all laugh at the dead man's pain." Sam bit off sarcastically. "Piper, I'm sorry I haven't been to visit. But Paige already has a father. She doesn't need me."

"Sam, Paige's dad has been dead for over ten years."

"I know." Sam replied. "I wasn't talking about him. I was talking about your dad, Victor. He promised me he'd look after her."

"He does." Piper answered shortly. "But he's not enough. You need to be around for her too."

"Well, if Cole's going to be around – and trust me, they're not letting you run anywhere," Leo added aside to Cole. "then Sam will be here too. And maybe he can be around for Paige."

"Sounds good to me." Cole agreed. "By the way, Sam, Warren got a new power today."

"I know. Levitation. He was supposed to."

"So it's not because of Phoebe?" Cole enquired.

"No, why would you think that?" Cole looked dumbfounded for a second.

"Have you not noticed where we are?" he asked incredulously. Sam looked sheepish.

"Oh, yeah."

"And anyway, why couldn't you tell me this yesterday?" Cole demanded.

"Because I was busy yesterday! Plus, you can handle it. You handled his shimmering by yourself, didn't you?" Cole groaned.

"That was some nightmare. He kept shimmering to Europe. Italy, England, Germany, Czech Republic, you name it, we've been there." Cole explained. "Actually, we met a witch in Ireland who looked a lot like Prue." He commented

"Exactly." Sam said. "And you taught Warren about the fireballs."

"Actually, you helped me with that."

"No, I didn't get there until energy balls." Sam argued.

"You were there for both." Cole told him.

"No, I wasn't."

"Mommy?" Chris asked, pushing in the door. His eyes were wide and red, and he looked about to cry. Piper walked past the arguing men and swung her younger son into her arms.

"Hey sweetie. What's up?"

"Don't listen to a word he says, Aunty Piper! We didn't do anything!" Warren protested, as he and Wyatt burst into the kitchen.

"Oh, really?" Cole asked, as he and Leo picked up their sons.

"War, you do know Chris can't say much yet, don 't you? He's only two." Leo informed him.

"Oh." Warren said. "But we still didn't do nothing."

"Wyatt, what did you do to Chris?" Leo asked sternly.

"We just losted him, that's all." Wyatt protested their innocence. "And now you found him, so it's ok!"

"It's founded, Wy, not found." Warren corrected him knowledgably.

"Actually, he was right the first time, War." Sam replied, chuckling. Warren swung his head to face him.

"Grandpa Sam!" he cried, and struggled out of Cole's arms into Sam's outstretched ones.

"Hey there, kiddo." He laughed. Piper raised an eyebrow at Cole.

"Grandpa Sam?" she enquired.

"In a roundabout way." He grinned.

"Hey War, I heard you got a new power today!" Sam commented unthinkingly.

"Sam!" Piper berated. She quickly froze her two children.

"You do not mention magic in front of my children, understand?" Sam's brow furrowed.

"Why not? And how could you freeze them?" Piper sighed.

"Cole will explain it to you later. I don't want to go through it again. Just don't say anything, ok?" Sam nodded as Piper unfroze Chris and Wyatt.

"You know, for someone who claims to be retired, you sure do use your gifts a lot, Piper." Cole noticed. Piper sent a glare his way, and he stuck out his tongue in retaliation.

* * *

Paige was beginning to get a headache. She was supposed to be watching a kid while she waited for his social worker to get back from lunch. She had got stuck with the job as the least busy person in the office, but unfortunately, even the 'least busy' social worker had tons of paperwork to be doing, and the child had disappeared _again_.

'_Aren't there assistants for this sort of thing?'_ she thought wearily, as she left her desk for the fifth time.

"Jane, have you seen the Peterson kid?" she asked a colleague. "Brown hair, this high?" she indicated vaguely. Jane shook her head.

"Sorry, Paige. I'd give you a hand looking, but the copier's jammed again. And I've got five cases to process and a meeting in five minutes."

"Six." Paige replied. "Cases, that is. No meeting, though. God, of all the days to get the Houdini wannabe. Give me a yell if you see him, would you?"

"Will do." Jane nodded, turning her attention back to the copier. Paige moved off, hoping Joel Peterson hadn't left the centre. A movement at the corner of her eye caught her attention, and she turned to find the fourteen year old playing with an eraser in his seat near her desk. He glanced surreptitiously around to make sure no one was watching, then tentatively let the eraser go, squinting his eyes at it. It hung in midair, and Paige gaped.

'_Just my luck.'_ She groaned in her head. With a small wave of his hand, Joel sent the eraser zooming towards a desk near him. It hit the back of the head of the man seated there, and Joel ducked as he twisted around to see who had thrown the offending object, grinning. He sat back into his seat as Paige reached her desk. She stood over him and folded her arms.

"Nice trick." She complimented. Joel looked up and gulped.

"I didn't throw it, I swear!" he protested.

"I know. I saw you. You want to tell me why you were using magic in a busy office?" Paige asked. Joel scoffed.

"No, I wasn't. I'm a bit too old to believe in magic and Santa Claus, lady."

"Paige, actually. Paige Matthews. And who asked you to believe in Santa Claus? I'm just saying I know what I saw."

"You obviously didn't see anything, because nothing happened!" Joel denied.

"Even so, I'd appreciate it if you didn't tk my stationary into people's heads again." She reproved. Despite himself, Joel looked at her curiously.

"Tk?" he questioned.

"Telekinesis. Moving things with your mind." Paige defined.

"How do you know what it's called?" Joel asked. Paige hesitated.

"Promise you won't freak?" she implored. He crossed his fingers over his heart for reply.

"Eraser!" Paige called quietly, and the white rectangle with her initials on it disappeared from her co-worker's table and reappeared in Paige's hand in a swirl of orbs.

"Whoa. That is so cool!" the teenager breathed, eyes boggling.

"Thank you." Paige replied. "Now, can you tell me why you refuse to stay put?"

"It's boring here!" Joel complained. "And besides, I don't want to go into another foster home. Sooner or later they're gonna see what I can do, and then they'll kick me out. And I hate the children's home. All the kids pick on me for being weird."

"So running away and ending up on the streets solves that?" Paige questioned. Joel shrugged.

"It's better than being beaten up all the time." He replied angrily. "Can't you do something? You're a social worker."

"But I'm not yours." She reminded him softly. At his look of dismay she sighed.

"I'll see what I can do. I'm not promising anything, though." She added hastily. Joel grinned.

"Thanks, Ms. Matthews. You're the best. At least you're actually listening to me."

"It's Paige, I told you. Oh, look. Speaking of social workers, here comes yours." She said, glancing up. The colleague she was minding Joel for rushed up to the desk.

"Hi, Paige. Sorry I'm so late. Traffic's atrocious out there."

"I'll bet." Paige grinned. The other social worker turned to her client.

"Joel, is it? Hi, I'm Belinda di Alberto. Nice to meet you." She held out her hand, which Joel took.

"You too." He replied, smiling.

"Ok, well, are you ready? We have a meeting with a couple that want to foster you in a couple of minutes. Thanks again for watching out for him, Paige."

"Actually, um, could she come too?" Joel asked his social worker. Belinda looked surprised.

"It's against regulations, Joel." Paige said, feeling sorry for the kid. He looked so nervous, and if this foster family didn't turn out right…

"Look." She scribbled her house and cell numbers on the back of a business card and handed it to him.

"Call me if you have any trouble, especially over that thing we talked about." The young witch's wan face brightened.

"Thanks." He replied, shoving the card in a pocket. "I will." Belinda put a hand on his shoulder and led him to a closed meeting room. Paige turned to her stack of paperwork with a sigh as they walked off.

* * *

Later on in the evening, she dropped her keys wearily on the hall table and hung her jacket on the rack.

"I'm home!" she called out, wondering who else was there.

"Aunty Paige!" three voices called, and Warren, Wyatt and Chris dashed into the hall.

"Hey guys." She laughed, mood rising immediately at the sight of her nephews.

"Warren, what are you still doing here?" she asked. He shrugged, a motion which two year old Chris immediately copied.

"Aunty Piper told Daddy we had to stay for dinner and it wasn't a choice." The four year old said, waggling his finger with the other hand on his hip in a comic imitation of her sister. Paige stifled a giggle.

"I see." She told them. "So where's your daddy and Aunt Piper now?" she added.

"Aunty Piper's in the kitchen with Uncle Leo, and Daddy's in the sitting room with Grandpa Sam."

'_Grandpa Sam? Who's he?'_ Paige wondered, as she made her way to the kitchen. She glanced into the living room as she passed, and waved to Cole and their guest. A few steps into the dining room, she froze. Backtracking, she cautiously stuck her head around the sitting room door. Her eyes widened as she saw her father.

**AnimeAlexis:** Two updates in two days and another chapter half written! Wow, that's unusual! Review if you like it!


	8. The Perfect Outfit

**Summary:** Cole Turner has survived for 4 years without Phoebe, raising their son by himself. But what happens when young Warren wants his Mommy?

**Disclaimer:** When I buy it, I'll let you know it's mine.

**Chapter 7**

Paige stood in shock in the sitting room doorway. Her father stood awkwardly to greet her.

"Hello, Paige." He said sheepishly, as she stared at him.

"Sam?" she squeaked, then

"Piper!" the oldest of the Halliwells made her way from the kitchen.

"Hey Paige! Have a good day at work?" Her younger sister pointed at Sam.

"Blow him up, Piper, because he must be a shapeshifter."

"I already did." Piper smirked.

"Twice." Sam flinched in remembrance. "Look, Paige, I'm not a demon. It's really me."

"Oh yeah? Then where have you been?" his witchlighter daughter demanded.

"Busy." Sam reprised his excuse from earlier. Paige just stood in disbelief.

"That's the best you can come up with?" she cried. Cole grinned.

"That's what Piper said too." He noted. Paige turned her glare on him.

"We're sisters." She informed Cole curtly. "Can _you_ tell me why he's here?"

"I called him to tell him about Warren's new power." He explained.

"Levitation." Piper filled in.

"Brilliant." Paige said witheringly. She turned hurt-filled eyes to Sam.

"Tell me, please. What is so wrong with me that you _still_ don't want to see me?" she asked.

"There's nothing wrong with you, Paige. Don't think that!" Sam said helplessly. Paige snorted, eyes still watering.

"I'm sure." Sam smiled weakly, sighing.

"You're so like your mother. Especially when you're angry." Paige wiped the back of her hand across her face as she answered sarcastically.

"Yeah? Well, sorry to tell you, _Dad_, but she's dead. So maybe you have some unresolved issues with her, but they're not my fault! So go and sort them out with _her_ instead of taking them out on me by avoiding me!" she shouted, dashing off to her room.

"Paige!" Piper called after her. Glaring at Sam, she blew him up once again before hurrying after her sister. For a few seconds, Cole stood chuckling in the centre of the room before Sam reformed himself.

"I deserved that." He sighed.

"Yup." Cole agreed.

"She hates me."

"Pretty much." Cole confirmed. "You're an idiot, you know that? I'd kill myself before I'd hurt Warren like that."

"I know." Sam groaned, sinking onto the couch. He slumped his head into his hands. They heard the front door closing, then the noise of keys dropping on the table before Phoebe appeared. She started at the sight of Cole, who was standing looking interestedly at the fireplace.

"Cole!" she said in surprise. "You're still here?"

"Piper forced me to stay for dinner." He excused himself.

"Oh. Demon?" she asked, indicating the man on the couch with his back to her.

"Whitelighter." Cole answered.

"Ok. Do you know where Piper -?"

"Upstairs consoling Paige."

"Great. Bye!" she went up the stairs after her sisters and Cole instantly started berating himself. It was so _easy_ to fall back into a rapport with Phoebe, when she wasn't trying to kill him. Sam looked up at him and Cole warned him.

"Don't even say it."

"Looks like I'm not the only one with problems." His Whitelighter replied.

* * *

Phoebe knocked on Paige's bedroom door. Hearing crying noises from inside, she pushed it open, frowning.

"Paige? Sweetie, are you ok?" Piper looked up from her spot beside Paige. The witchlighter was lying on her side facing the window. Her back shook as she sobbed. Phoebe closed the door and took a seat beside Piper.

"What happened, honey?" Piper looked at her quizzically.

"Did you not see our unwelcome guest downstairs?" she asked dubiously. Phoebe shrugged.

"I saw a slumped figure on the couch. Why? Who is he? Cole said he's a Whitelighter."

"He is." Paige sniffled, her voice muffled by her pillow. "It's Sam." Phoebe's mouth opened in an 'oh' of realisation.

"Oh sweetie. Sam your dad?"

"Yeah, well, not much of a dad, is he?" Paige muttered.

"Why is he here?" Phoebe asked.

"Apparently he's Warren's Whitelighter. He didn't even come to see me." Paige growled. She sat up and faced her sisters, who immediately enveloped her in a hug.

"Do you want me to blow him up again?" Piper asked helpfully.

"What?" Phoebe exclaimed. Paige laughed.

"Our dearest eldest sister here blew up my biological father." Piper nodded.

"Three times." She added proudly.

"Wow. Someone's a bit trigger happy this evening. Couldn't you have done that to Cole?"

"Phoebe…" Piper warned.

"Yeah, yeah, behave. I suppose Sam deserved it more, anyway."

"Plus, Cole can't reform. And then there's out newest – one of Chris and Wyatt's friends to think of." Paige bit her tongue halfway through, about to reveal her nephew's identity to his mother. Piper raised her eyebrows at Paige, who gave a small shrug.

"Yeah, I suppose we wouldn't want to make Warren an orphan." Phoebe said, gazing at her two sisters suspiciously. Piper cleared her throat.

"Is there some reason you came up here, Pheebs? If you didn't know about Sam."

"Yeah." Phoebe replied, allowing herself to be distracted. "I've got a date tonight with Jason. I need your help to pick out an outfit. I want something that says I love him and I'm glad he's back, but I don't want him to think I'm too overconfident and utterly forgiving."

"Quite a lot to ask of one outfit." Piper commented, while Paige looked confused.

"Jason Dean? He's back in the country?"

"Oh, yeah, sweetie. I didn't tell you earlier, did I? I'm going to give him another chance. He said he was sick of running, and he realised he'd never stopped loving me."

"But Pheebs," Paige protested. "He really hurt you the last time."

"Well, I decided that it's not fair to hold a grudge for so long." Phoebe smiled. "And I realised that what happened in the past should stay in the past. Otherwise it just hurts too much. Anyway, forget about the outfit. I can't go out on a date with you worrying about Sam."

"Oh no, Pheebs, go! Your chances at love are more important than my father issues." Paige protested. Phoebe looked unsure. She didn't want to leave Paige in her hour of need just for a date.

"It's ok, Paige. Jason can wait. We'll have a girls' night in!" she proposed excitedly. Paige laughed.

"Maybe another night, Pheebs. Go hunt out some choices for outfits and then we'll bring help you decide." She shooed her reluctant older sister out the door, closing it behind her.

"Our newest one of Chris and Wyatt's friends?" Piper asked sarcastically. Paige made a face.

"It's hard, ok? Take it from one who knows. And besides," she added, changing the subject, "why is she back together with Jason Dean, of all people? That would be like her getting back together with Cole!"

"She does love him, though, Paige." Piper replied. "And she deserves a shot at love, and a normal life. And besides, Cole's not evil anymore. Trust me. If you saw the way he is with Warren…"

"Yeah, I know." Paige sighed. "And if Phoebe can be forgiving, I suppose I can be too. To Cole, and to Sam." She conceded.

"Well, I can always blow him up again." Piper suggested wickedly. Paige smirked.

"As tempting as that would be, it's kinda going against my whole forgiveness policy. And I'm hoping he's learned his lesson."

"Are you sure?" Piper asked hopefully.

"If Phoebe can be forgiving, I can too." Paige repeated. She glanced sharply at Piper. "Phoebe's right, though. You _are_ very trigger happy this evening."

"Hey, I never get to blow things up anymore!" Piper protested.

"Excuse me? Who was this whole normal life advocate? Who's idea was it to get away from magic?"

"That may be. And I love having a normal life, I do, but…I kinda miss the tension relief killing demons brings. Blowing stuff up is good for venting frustrations."

"Uh huh." Paige replied, eyebrow raised. "I believe you."

"You guys, what do you think?" Phoebe asked, coming through the door with an armful of clothes.

"I think you're gonna need lots of dates." Piper said laughingly. Paige cast an appraising eye over the bunch.

"Here, what about this?" she suggested, pulling out a red strapless cocktail dress.

"It's a first date, Paige." Phoebe pointed out.

"Good point. Hmm." She put the dress to the side and dug through the pile again, pulling together outfits only for Phoebe to shake her head at them.

"Oh, by the way." Phoebe said, as she pushed through the pile with her sisters. "I'm not giving up on that girls' night in idea. How about next Wednesday?"

"I can't Wednesday." Paige shook her head. "How about Friday?"

"I have an Ask Phoebe special column due in Friday evening." Phoebe sighed.

"Saturday suits all of us." Piper pointed out.

"Saturday it is then!" Phoebe replied enthusiastically. "Pencil it into your diaries!"

"Consider it pencilled." Paige said. "What about the boys?"

"We'll ask Dad to have them and Leo over. Have the house to ourselves." Phoebe suggested.

"Good idea." Piper nodded. "He can meet Cole and Warren too. Sam might be out, though."

"Don't worry, Piper. Sam's a busy man. He probably won't have time." Paige deadpanned.

"Wait. Have you thought about what Dad's reaction to this is going to be? He thinks Cole's dead!" Phoebe pointed out.

"Yes well." Piper said. "He'll just have to find out that he's _not_ dead anymore."

"Fine, fine. But don't say I didn't warn you when we're rushing dad to hospital."

"He's not going to have a heart attack, Pheebs. He's not _that_ old." Paige stuck up for him, laughing. The trio joked and laughed while picking out the perfect outfit for Phoebe's date.

**AnimeAlexis:** It's up! A little bit of a filler chapter, I know, but I had to have Paige's reaction. Review and tell me what you think!


	9. Eavesdropping

**Summary:** Cole Turner has survived for 4 years without Phoebe, raising their son by himself. But what happens when young Warren wants his Mommy?

**Disclaimer:** When I buy it, I'll let you know it's mine.

**Chapter 8**

3 weeks later, Phoebe's much anticipated girls' night in had arrived. Between one thing and another, it had been put off a grand total of 8 times. Meanwhile, Warren, Wyatt and Chris had been getting along swimmingly. Much to Cole's dismay, Warren had "persuaded" his father to bring him to the Halliwell Manor to play every day those weeks. Most of the time it was Sam that brought him, as Cole's lunch hour was an hour later than when Warren got off school. Warren usually went to friends' houses until his father was finished work in the evenings.

Often when Cole came to pick Warren up, Piper would make him stay for her "family" dinner. She insisted on this at nighttimes, as it was the only time they all had together. Cole wasn't quite sure how he felt about these dinners. The routine was starting to get comfortable and familiar, two things he had never again wanted to associate with the Halliwells. Piper was starting to feel more and more like a big sister (ironic, considering he was about 170 years older than her), Paige – considering he and Warren had both tried to kill her in the past – had forgiven them easily and they were getting along fine. Sure, Cole and Paige bickered a lot, but that was just their way. Warren adored Paige and Piper both, and they in turn had slipped easily into being his aunts.

Phoebe still hadn't figured out that Warren was her son, although she was starting to act like his mother. She was getting closer and closer to him, and Cole worried about that. The closer she got, the easier it would be for her to connect the dots. Piper tried to reassure him that if it was meant to be kept secret it would, but that hardly helped. He realised that underneath she was trying to prepare him for the fact that it could work the other way around too. If Phoebe was meant to find out that she was Warren's mother, she would.

* * *

As for Phoebe herself, she was surprised how easy it was not to hate Cole. She had thought she would be unable to forgive him for all he had put her through, but … once Piper had forced her to let go of her spite, she found that it wasn't that hard to stop being his enemy. And as for Warren, Phoebe felt slightly guilty. She was beginning to think that he was the cutest kid she had ever laid eyes on, and that included her two adorable nephews. And there was something about him that Cole didn't want her to know.

At first she had thought – well, it was stupid really. For a while, she had thought that Warren was possibly her son. Well, the ages had fit. And he kind of looked like her, too. And then there was the levitating. But the more she thought about it, the more she convinced herself that she was wrong. After all, Warren had been dead, right? Maybe he just hadn't aged while he had been dead. And the looks were just a coincidence. As were the powers. Because she was sure that other people besides a Charmed One had the power of levitation.

The clincher, though, was when Phoebe remembered, with a still-breaking heart, that her son had been evil. The baby she had carried had never been hers to start with. Even now, four years later, that fact still hurt. Although the baby had been a surprise, a shock even, Phoebe had wanted it. She had wanted to keep him, or her, she supposed. It could have been a girl. When she had found out that the baby was the Source and the Seer's, it had felt like she wrenched out her heart.

When Warren came into her life, she had wondered, but quickly realised she was a fool to get her hopes up. She couldn't break her heart again by asking if Warren was hers, only to find out he wasn't. Still, she had allowed herself to get close to him, feeling guilty, like she had somehow betrayed the other child. The one that hadn't been hers.

* * *

Piper called Phoebe out of her thoughts.

"Come on, Pheebs, popcorn's ready!" The trio were dressed in comfy pyjamas, setting up for the evening. They were stocked up on popcorn and chocolate, planning an evening of dominoes (which they had been introduced to a few years back while visiting Paige's friend Sharon in Florida) and a few giggly girly movies. Phoebe made her way from her bedroom to the kitchen, where Piper and Paige were pouring butter and salt onto the popcorn. Paige had stocked up on lollipops for the evening. It was a habit Phoebe and Piper had "trained her out of", but hey, she was allowed to have a treat every so often, right?

Victor had agreed to entertain Leo and the boys for the night, and Cole – if he didn't duck out at the last minute – was heading over later to introduce Warren to Victor. Phoebe almost wished she could leave her night in to see the look on her dad's face when Cole turned up. Paige may have been confident her dad wouldn't have a heart attack, but that didn't mean that he wouldn't be shocked. Her grin gave her thoughts away as she entered the kitchen.

"What are you grinning about?" Paige asked suspiciously. She prepared herself to close her ears and think about something else if Phoebe started wittering on about Jason. He was only back 3 weeks, and already she was spending more time there than at the Manor. To Paige's relief, the grin on Phoebe's face wasn't about her boyfriend.

"I was just wishing what I could see dad's face when Cole turns up. He'll be wishing he had Piper's powers so he could kill Cole. Again."

"He won't." Piper said confidently. "Not when he sees how adorable Warren is!" After much discussion, Cole had been persuaded to let Victor know about Warren. His chief reasons for agreeing had been (a) he was outvoted four to one (even Sam had gone against him) and (b) it might make Victor less likely to kill him.

"Well, it's fine with me if you only keep Warren around because you don't want to orphan Warren." Phoebe commented casually, reaching for the popcorn. Paige slapped her hand away, so Phoebe stuck out her tongue.

"That's not why we keep him around, Pheebs." Piper denied.

"Yeah, he's good fun to argue with!" Paige smiled. Piper frowned at her baby sister.

"That's not why either, Paige!" she reprimanded.

"Is it because you're afraid he'll turn evil again?" Phoebe guessed.

"No! Look, Cole isn't evil, and he's not going to be. Stop being so prejudiced, Phoebe, and you'll see that!" Piper exclaimed heatedly.

"Calm down, Piper." Phoebe said, affronted. "In case you hadn't noticed, I'm not going out of my way to snipe at Cole anymore. In fact, I haven't had an argument with him for three days!" she finished proudly. Paige laughed.

"You're counting?" she asked. Phoebe made a face at her, which Paige promptly sent back.

"All right, children, settle down." Piper said absently, bringing ice-cream over from the freezer and grabbing an oven mitt. Pulling a tray of chocolate chip cookies out of the oven, she set them on the island, ignoring Paige's intake of breath and Phoebe's excited cry of "Cookies!"

"Grab the popcorn." She instructed Phoebe. "Paige, you're on ice-cream detail. Bowls and spoons, please." Paige nodded, and rummaged through the drawers as Phoebe took the bowl through to the sitting room. She moved a pile of DVDs to make room for it, then went back to the kitchen. Pausing on a whim outside the door, she heard her name in her sisters' conversation. Against her better judgement, she hovered at the door, listening.

"Is it me, or do you have an ulterior motive for wanting Phoebe to be nice to Cole?" Paige's amused voice floated through the door to Phoebe. Piper's denial came a little too quickly for Phoebe's liking.

"It's just you, Paige. I'm not trying to set Phoebe and Cole up. It would never work. They hate each other too much." Phoebe frowned to herself. Piper's voice was calm, but it didn't fool her for a second. She had known her older sister too long to not know when she was lying. Apparently, Paige felt the same. Phoebe could hear scoffing sounds that she knew would be accompanied by Paige's patented 'I-know-you're-lying-to-me-so-spill-your-guts-now-or-I'll-say-something-incredibly-sarcastic' look. A look that Phoebe knew would one day be inherited by their younger nephew Chris. Piper must have recognised the look too, because Phoebe heard her say

"All right. Fine. I just want Warren…" her voice lowered, and Phoebe strained to hear. All she caught was Paige's sigh, followed by

"I know. But there's nothing we can do, Piper. He doesn't want her to know." Paige commented. Phoebe thought that this would be a good time to move, before her sisters' wondered where she was.

"Who doesn't want who to know what?" she asked breezily, waltzing into the kitchen. She pretended to be oblivious to the look that Piper and Paige exchanged.

"Umm, John at work. He has a major crush on a colleague of ours, Susan. But he refuses to tell her." Paige explained. It was the truth, even if it was completely irrelevant to the current situation.

"Oh." Phoebe frowned, then shrugged. She started to automatically offer advice, her mind wandering.

'_Why are Phoebe and Paige lying to me?'_ she wondered. _'And more importantly, why are they trying to set me up with Cole?'_

**AnimeAlexis:** So, what did you think? I hope that that explained why Phoebe hasn't figured out about Warren yet. I know a lot of people were wondering about that. Review please!


	10. Daisy Demons?

**Summary:** Cole Turner has survived for 4 years without Phoebe, raising their son by himself. But what happens when young Warren wants his Mommy?

**Disclaimer:** When I buy it, I'll let you know it's mine.

**Chapter 9**

Phoebe, Paige and Piper sat in the sitting room, gazing at the TV screen. Every so often Phoebe, ever the romantic, would sigh blissfully at the story on screen. They were in the middle of the first film, a romance that was a new release. Phoebe and Piper sat curled up on the couch, Paige sitting on the floor at their feet. Piper scoffed at the screen.

"No one wakes up looking as perfect as that!" she exclaimed. Phoebe shushed her, but Paige frowned and said

"I have to agree. That hair must have taken hours of straightening."

"That's not the point!" Phoebe protested. "Now hush! You're ruining the movie!" Piper and Paige snickered quietly.

"Sorry." Piper whispered insincerely. "We'll be good."

"Speak for yourself, sister. This movie is way to phoney for me. Can't we change to another one?" Paige requested.

"Yes, let's." Piper's voice said loudly, drowning out Phoebe's protesting "No!"

"You're outvoted, Pheebs!" Paige said cheerfully. "Two to one!"

She scuttled over to the TV as Phoebe huffed and slumped back into her seat.

"How come the middle child is always outvoted?" Piper, marvelling at the fact that they had already demolished one bowl, left the room to make more popcorn as Phoebe voiced her opinion.

"Get over it, Pheebs!" Paige said as she took the DVD out and replaced it with another. "You can watch it later if you like it so much."

"But I was watching it now!" Phoebe whined. She heard a shuffling sound out in the hall and Cole came into sight, holding a sleeping Warren in his arms.

"Cole!" Phoebe said in surprise, rising from her chair. "What are you doing here?"

"Aren't you supposed to be at Victor's?" Paige queried.

"I need you to take Warren." Cole panted, obviously in a rush.

"What? Why?" she asked, already holding her hands out for the child in Cole's arms. Warren, stirring slightly, reached for his mother as he was deposited in her arms.

"Demons. They're at the apartment. I have to go back, but I can't bring Warren with me. He'll be safer here, and I don't want to lead them to your dad's. You wouldn't want them after Leo and the boys, would you?"

"No!" Phoebe clutched Warren to her protectively. "He can go into Chris or Wyatt's bed."

"Go." Paige said, standing. "We'll protect him. We've done it before."

"We're a bit out of practise." Phoebe smiled. "But we'll be fine."

"Thanks." Cole replied gratefully. He bent down to kiss Warren's head. As he straightened, he noticed Phoebe looking down at the four year old adorably. Sighing at how right they looked together, he left. Paige nudged her older sister in the arm.

"Take Warren upstairs and put him to bed. I'll tell Piper to call Victor and tell Leo and the boys Cole isn't coming." She headed for the kitchen, leaving Phoebe in the sitting room. Warren stirred and mumbled in his sleep.

_'How did we get back into this again?'_ Phoebe wondered, shaking her head. She looked down at Warren once more and started up the stairs. When she lay Warren in Wyatt's bed, he woke.

"Daddy?" he asked sleepily.

"No, it's Phoebe." The middle sister told him. "Daddy's gone to fight some bad people. He left you at my house, so you'd be safe."

"Oh. Are Wy and little Chris here?" he asked.

"Sorry, War. They've gone to their granddads for the evening. They'll be here in the morning, though, when you wake up."

"Ok." He yawned. "Night."

"Goodnight." Phoebe said softly. She smoothed down his hair and left the room, jumping as she met Piper outside the door.

"He's asleep." She informed the oldest sister. "Are you angry Cole brought him here?"

"What? No." Piper looked shocked. "I'd rather have him here and demons coming after us than him unsafe somewhere else. And Paige is all ready for a demon battle. She's upstairs, making all-purpose vanquishing potions." Phoebe smiled.

"She isn't really fond of this whole living without magic thing, is she?" she asked. Piper shook her head.

"No. I sometimes feel bad for pulling you two into my normal life without demons. It was never what Paige wanted."

"Don't worry about it, Piper." Phoebe assured her. "I love not having to vanquish demons every other day. And one day Paige will want a normal life too. When she finds the right guy and wants to settle down, she'll be glad we don't have demons to vanquish anymore. And besides, she's still connected to magic, with her charges. And as for me, well, if I ever have a son or daughter as cute as Warren in there, I'll be so glad that they'll be safe." Hearing the love in Phoebe's voice when she spoke about Warren, Piper felt guilty.

_'Why does Cole want so badly to keep Warren from her? He's her child, too.'_

"Phoebe…" Piper started. Phoebe waved her away.

"I've told you, Piper. There's nothing to feel bad about."

"No. It's not that. Phoebe, Warren…" the words died on Piper's lips. Right or wrong, she had made a promise to Cole. Even if Phoebe had a right to know about Warren, it wasn't Piper's decision to make.

"What about Warren?" Phoebe asked curiously. Piper mustered a grin.

"Just that you're right. He is adorable. And I know the children you'll have someday will be just like him." She said honestly. Phoebe grinned.

"You think so?"

"I know so. You're going to be a great mom someday, sweetie."

"Thanks, Piper." Phoebe said, inexplicably relieved. "That means a lot."

"So what do you say we go help Paige with her preparations?" Piper asked.

"Sure." Phoebe agreed, silently thinking she'd rather just sit and watch Warren sleep. They went up to the attic to find Paige busiedly preparing potions. She shoved a box of crystals at Phoebe as the two neared the table.

"Here, put these around the Warren's room. I don't want anyone getting in to him." She instructed.

"Paige, don't you think you're going a little overboard?" Piper asked, looking at the array. "We don't even know that the demons are going to come after Warren here."

"There's no harm in being prepared." Phoebe said as she went out the attic door.

"Exactly." Paige agreed. "Which is why we've got some of our older demon vanquish potions out here." She pointed at a few different coloured potions on the table, then used a dropper to fill a few other vials. Piper moved around the table to stand beside her and started corking potion vials as Paige handed them to her.

"Ok, crystals are set – whoa! Paige, behind you!" Phoebe warned as she came back in. Paige orbed out just before the demon grabbed her. She reappeared beside Phoebe as Piper whirled around and froze the demon.

"Potion!" Paige yelled, and one of the older potion vials on the table orbed and smashed at the demon's feet.

"Oh my God." Phoebe exclaimed as Paige's jaw dropped and Piper started laughing. The demon was buried under a mountain of daisies.

"How was I supposed to know that the potions had gone bad?" Paige asked as Phoebe stared at her accusingly. Piper tried to stop laughing long enough to get a sentence out.

"Don't worry, I got it." She flicked her hands at the pile and quickly blew up the demon, scattering daisy petals everywhere. Paige started giggling too, and Phoebe stifled a grin.

"I think it's safe to say we are a little bit out of practise." She commented to her laughing sisters.

**AnimeAlexis:** I know, I know, it took forever to come out! But I had rowing All-Irelands followed by a trip to Wales, so I didn't have connection to the Net for like 2 weeks. And THEN, when I thought I was home free, I got a callback for a TV show that had me staying in a hotel in Dublin for four days, again with no internet. Torture! You should see the state of my mail inbox. Besides, these chapters are hard to write! I know where I'm going, but not how. Anyway, I'll have a new chap up soon, before I go back to school. For those who are reading Reversal, I've updated that, too! Review please!


	11. Mother?

**Summary:** Cole Turner has survived for 4 years without Phoebe, raising their son by himself. But what happens when young Warren wants his Mommy?

**Disclaimer:** When I buy it, I'll let you know it's mine.

**Chapter 10**

Cole, trapped behind a couch, summoned an energy ball. Leaping up, he fired it at the last demon of the group that had invaded his home, incinerating it. He clutched at his forearm, where a large gash was bleeding heavily.

"Sam!" he yelled, moving around to the front of the couch. He sank into it as his Whitelighter orbed in.

"What happened here?" Sam asked, glancing around the debris of the sitting room.

"Pixies." Cole shot back sarcastically. Sam frowned.

"Here, let me heal that." He offered. Cole held out his arm and Sam placed his hands over it. When he was finished, Cole flexed his arm, the pain gone.

"Thanks Sam." He said in obvious relief.

"No problem." The Whitelighter grinned. "So, what are you going to do about cleaning this place up?" Cole looked around the room, taking stock. He groaned, shaking his head.

"Nothing for now. I'd rather go get Warren first. I had to drop him off at the Manor until I got rid of the demons."

"You don't think they attacked there, do you?" Sam asked worriedly, concern for the Halliwell clan shining through on his face.

"I hope not. But the girls can look after themselves, and War." Cole replied, wishing he felt half as confident as he seemed. Sam knew his charge too well to be fooled. Reading between the lines, he realised Cole was scared out of his mind for his son. Hell, Sam was feeling the same for his daughter, and she was a grown woman! He placed a reassuring hand on Cole's shoulder.

"He's fine." He said shortly. Cole nodded. Without a word, he disappeared to San Francisco. Sighing one last time at the mess caused by the attack, his Whitelighter orbed after him.

* * *

Piper swung around and threw up her arms as the figures materialised. Phoebe gave a little shriek.

"Jesus, Cole! Do you have to scare us like that?" she glared.

"Hello to you too." He bit off sarcastically.

"Alright, alright." Piper interrupted, a quick and careless flick of her wrists unfreezing Sam. "You two really need to stop fighting."

"I will if she does." Cole said childishly. Phoebe stuck out her tongue in retaliation. Sam, noticing, grinned as Piper rolled her eyes.

"They fighting again?" he asked as Paige walked in the door, brush and pan in hand. She blinked.

"Sam? Cole? What are you two doing here?" she asked.

"Checking on Warren. The demons have pretty much trashed the sitting room at home." He commented. "What's with the brush?" Paige indicated vaguely in the direction of Piper, drawing the two mens' attention to her. Piper smiled, obligingly moving aside to reveal the daisies.

"We had a little run in with your demons." Phoebe explained, a grin on her face as she remembered the demon bursting into flowers. Cole stared at her for a second, bewitched by the smile. Somewhere inside him, a little voice was crowing triumphantly.

**_'Told you you still love her!'_** it cackled. He was shaken out of his little reverie by Sam's exclamation of

"How on Earth did you turn a demon into flowers?" Paige looked extremely sheepish.

Umm, the potion was gone off." She explained hesitantly, still wary of her Whitelighter father. Three weeks wasn't going to be enough to heal the rift between them, but a shaky footbridge had been erected. Cole raised an eyebrow as Sam let out a snort of laughter.

"The potion was gone off." Warren's father said dubiously.

"Yes. Shut up. We didn't know." Paige replied, still embarrassed. She bent down to brush up the flowers, Piper kneeling beside her to help

"Come on." Phoebe addressed her ex-husband. "I'll take you downstairs to see Warren. Though he's probably still asleep." Cole followed her awkwardly down the stairs.

**_'Say something, you idiot!'_** the annoying voice reprimanded him.

"Umm, how's Jason doing?" he asked as they were walking down. The little voice groaned.

**_'That's not what I meant.'_** Cole grinned. Was it wrong to take pleasure out of thwarting the plans of a little voice in your head? Especially if that little voice claimed to be you.

"He's brilliant! I'm so glad we decided to give our relationship another go." Phoebe gushed, reaching the bottom of the flight of stairs. Cole strode across the hall and pushed open the door to the room Warren was in, giving no inclination of his opinion on the matter.

**_'You just try telling me you're not cutting off your own nose to spite your face.'_** The little voice admonished him.

_'Shut up.'_ He told it fiercely, sitting down on the bed his son currently occupied.

"Warren?" he said softly, hesitant in waking his son up. "Come on, War, time to go home!" The deep breathing continued, and the child didn't stir. Phoebe – in an unknowing echo of Sam's earlier gesture – laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Let him sleep. He'll be fine here until the morning."

"You're probably right." Cole sighed, standing. Phoebe's hand rose with him, until she stood on tiptoes. With a blush, she lowered it, brushing her clothes down in agitation.

"And, uhh, what about you? I mean, did you want to stay her to stay close to him?" She couldn't believe how close she had come to…

"That would be great." Cole acknowledged. "But, um, I don't think Wyatt's bed would fit me." He indicated over his shoulder at the twin bed opposite Warren's. Phoebe grinned. Mock-sincerely, she held out her hands and pretended to measure it. She looked down at herself.

"It might not fit you, but I think I might just about make it." She said. "You can have my bed."

"No, Phoebe, I couldn't…" She held up a hand to cut off his protest.

"I offered. And it's not that small, anyway. I'll just go tell the others." She left the darkened room, leaving Cole standing at the foot of the bed.

Your mother is one crazy girl, War." He sighed, shaking his head to himself. "But don't tell her that." He followed his ex-wife out of the room, leaving the 4 year old curled under the covers. Unbeknownst to his parents, the boy lay wide eyed, one word reverberating around his head.

_'Mother?'

* * *

_

The morning dawned bright and cheerful. When Cole went to wake Warren, the young witch was already sitting up and demanding that they stay for breakfast.

"Or at least until Wy and Chris come home, Daddy!" he pleaded. Cole gave in, not wanting a fight so early in the morning. Besides, even Phoebe had been nice to him last night. He had no reason not to stay, and the Halliwells were only too delighted to keep them around. Piper more so than anybody, though God only knew why. When Cole turned up downstairs with the rumpled clothes he had worn the night before, she scolded him heartily before sending him home to fetch clothes for himself and Warren.

"Do you need a hand with cleaning up later?" Paige offered when the two had freshened up and were sitting down to breakfast. "Because Phoebe and I aren't doing anything today."

"Sure, that would be brilliant. Thanks, Paige." He accepted gratefully. Phoebe finished a mouthful of waffle.

"Ok, but I can only stay until two. I have a late lunch date with Jason."

"War-ren!" a voice rang out, and two figures dashed into the large kitchen, startling their mother.

"Chris, Wyatt, be careful! Do you want some pancakes?" she asked.

"Yes!" the pair cried happily, Wyatt scrambling up on the chair beside Warren, and Chris toddling over to wrap himself around her legs. Piper swooped down and picked him up, hefting him into her arms as Leo swung the kitchen door in.

"Did you have a good time with Victor last night?" she asked him over her shoulder.

"Yeah. Except Cole never turned up."

Sorry about that." The ex-demon interrupted from the table. "I had to take care of a little pest problem." He excused himself. Leo glanced at him in surprise, while Phoebe frowned.

"Didn't you tell Leo this last night?" she asked Piper. The eldest witch rolled her eyes.

"Uh huh. But you know men. Awkward timing, won't ask for directions and can't be bothered to listen." Phoebe and Paige giggled as Leo and Cole let out identical injured "Hey!"s. a twinkling of lights filled the hall and seconds later, Sam entered the room.

"What'd I miss?" he asked cluelessly as the room burst out laughing.

**AnimeAlexis:** I know, it's late again. But hey. I have teachers all over me about homework 24/7. 5th year sucks. Bright side: I know where I'm going for another few chapters, so I could end up updating again soon!


	12. Cleaning

**Summary:** Cole Turner has survived for 4 years without Phoebe, raising their son by himself. But what happens when young Warren wants his Mommy?

**Disclaimer:** When I buy it, I'll let you know it's mine.

**Chapter 11**

A few hours after breakfast, Phoebe and Cole were busy cleaning his apartment. Paige had begged off earlier, saying that there was something urgent that she had forgotten she had to do for work, and Leo had offered to take Warren to the park with his boys. Unfortunately, there wasn't much progress being made.

"Cole, just let me use a spell!" Phoebe argued stubbornly, as she had been doing for the past half hour.

"Phoebe, hardly anything is broken. Just the coffee table, and that was old anyway. There's no need for magic." Cole pointed out wearily.

"But this is taking forever!"

"And it's not going to get done any faster with you just standing there. Look, I know you want out of here. I know you hate me, and can't bear to spend time in my company. So just go for your date with Jason! I'll be fine cleaning up here."

"I don't hate you!" Phoebe denied, latching on to the underlying root of the problem. "I haven't hated you for a while now, or haven't you noticed that I'm making an effort to be nice?"

"I had noticed." He replied quietly, the note in his voice something Phoebe couldn't quite place. She frowned, trying to figure it out, but Cole cleared his throat and continued bullishly. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to use magic to clean this place up! And besides, aren't you supposed to be retired?" Phoebe threw up her hands in exasperation.

"You're as bad as Piper! Yes, I'm not using magic much anymore. But the kids aren't here, so there's no need to hide my powers! Why do you care, anyway? You use your powers for everything!"

"Not for personal gain, Phoebe. That's why we're cleaning this by hand. You might want to risk the magical repercussions of using a spell to clean up, but I don't! Warren lives here, and I don't want him getting caught in a backfire." Phoebe's face softened.

"Yeah, ok. I guess you're right." Cole acknowledged her agreement with a nod, and they went back to cleaning by hand. A few minutes later Phoebe completely threw Cole off by declaring, seemingly randomly

"You really love him, don't you?"

"Who?" Cole enquired.

"Warren."

"Of course I do. He's my son. Phoebe, just because I've made a few mistakes in the past doesn't mean I'm not capable –"

"No, that's not what I meant." She tried hurriedly to backtrack. "I just mean that, well, I've noticed that everything you do comes back to War. He seems to motivate your every move."

"He does." Cole said. "For a while, he was all that I had. He was the reason I kept going, when sometimes all I wanted to do was curl up and die. I've done a lot of bad things in the past. I won't deny it. But Warren… he's my second chance. And I'll do anything to keep him safe, and happy, and loved."

"I'm beginning to feel that way about him myself." Phoebe admitted, smiling wistfully. "Don't tell Piper, but I think I'm getting closer to Warren than even Wy or Chris. And I love them both so much. It sounds stupid, and corny, but – ugh, I can't believe I'm saying this – when I look at your son, when I hold him or play with him or talk to him, all I want is for him to be ok. Even if it means I can't be." She smiled again, a little embarrassed.

"Sad, right? I mean, I've only known him three weeks and he's not even related to me." Cole winced. He felt horribly as if he was being torn in two. The little voice in his head (which he still wasn't sure didn't mean he wasn't insane), was deciding to voice his opinion again.

'_**She's his MOTHER. She loves him. She deserves to know.'**_

'_She abandoned us! How much love does that show? And besides, she doesn't _need_ to know.'_

'_**Look, either you tell her or someone else will.'**_

'_And what's that supposed to mean?'_ But the voice had fallen silent, and now Phoebe was looking at her watch and exclaiming,

"I'm late! I was supposed to meet Jason 15 minutes ago! Oh, he's going to kill me. Damn Paige, I hope she's not in a meeting!" She dashed around the room, gathering her jacket and purse.

"Cole, I'm so sorry, I'll have to help you later!"

"Phoebe, calm down, you're going to trip!" he warned her, but her stiletto heel had already caught on something, possibly a stray piece of glass from the broken coffee table. Cursing, Cole darted forward to catch her before she hit the ground, and she flumped into his arms. Giggling, she looked up.

"Thanks." He stared down at her worriedly, and inexplicably, her voice suddenly hitched.

"Are you ok?" Cole asked, straightening her so that she was standing, but still supporting her in case she decided to fall again.

"Umm…" was all Phoebe could think of to say. Suddenly, her mind flashed back to when she had first met him, all those years ago. She remembered the then ADA of San Francisco walking out of the shadows of the alleyway, and into her life. Her reaction then had been something like it was now, she realised with a jolt. She had been startlingly overwhelmed, and ready to do anything he asked of her. Phoebe blinked.

'_No, Phoebe. Don't go there. You can't go down that road.'_ She shook her head to dislodge the traitorous thoughts. _'Not again. It hurt too much the last time.'_ There was another reason too, she reminded herself. It had slipped to the back of her mind.

'_Now if I could just remember it…' _Cole cleared his throat.

"Come on, I'll take you to your date." He offered. He stepped back, only catching onto her hand.

'_Jason.'_ Phoebe thought guiltily. _'Jason is the other reason. I'm in love with him now, not Cole. Cole and I are just friends. Even less than friends. We're on a truce, until one or the other of us messes up.'_ She reminded herself.

"Right, let's go." She urged her ex-husband. He looked at her oddly for a second before diving a barely discernable shrug and teleporting them both to San Francisco. They reappeared in an alley near the café Phoebe was meeting Jason at. She let go of Cole slowly, embarrassed at her thoughts.

"Thank you." She said gratefully as they left the shelter of the alley for the crowded street. "Umm, are you alright for lunch? You're more than welcome to join us, if you want."

"Phoebe!" Jason called from the small restaurant a few doors down. Leaving his jacket on his chair to save their table, he hurried over to his girlfriend.

"You made it!" he said, kissing her cheek. He caught sight of Cole, and his expression wavered confusedly between a frown and a polite smile.

"Hello, umm… I don't believe we've met?"

"Oh, yeah." Phoebe exhaled. "I forgot. This is gonna be awkward. Uh, Jason, this is my ex-husband."

"Cole Turner." The man in question filled in, offering his hand for Jason to shake. Jason, in a stunning lack of tact, asked confusedly

"Isn't he dead?"

* * *

Paige hadn't been lying when she had said she had something to do. Well, not really. She had some paperwork. It could have waited for a while, but hey, getting ahead was never a crime, right?

'_I wonder how Phoebe and Cole are getting along.' _she thought again, her mind not having wandered far from the two since she had started working. _'I hope they're not fighting too much.'_

She sighed and pulled another document towards her, tapping her pen against the side of it.

'_It's funny, how Cole is turning out not to be as bad a guy as we always thought he was.'_ She mused to herself. _'I mean, what he did was awful. But I suppose we'll never really know why he did what he did. Were we too quick to judge, to quick to look at him as _evil_? I mean, we of all people should know that there's no absolute black and white.' _She shuffled through her papers, her thoughts not allowing her to get a grip on her work.

'_Maybe I should have gone to the park with Piper, Leo and the boys.' _The high pitched ring of her cellphone sounded, providing a welcome distraction from her thoughts. She scrambled in her pocket for it, wanting to cut off the sound.

'_I have to remember to change that ringtone.'_ She thought, wincing at the shrill ring.

"Hello?"

"Ms. Matthews?" the voice on the other end was young, familiar.

"Yes?" Paige asked cautiously. If this was some sort of prank…

"It's me, Joel. From the Social Services? You gave me your number for emergencies?"

"Oh, hey Joel. What's up? Are you alright?"

"Um…"

"Joel? Is there a reason you called?" Paige asked, worried. The kid sounded tired, like he hadn't slept in days. And…scared? "Are you ok? Where are you?"

"Uh, I don't know." He laughed, but it sounded far from happy. "It's funny. I've lived in this city my whole life. I thought I knew it pretty well, but…" he trailed off.

"Joel, have you told your foster family where you are? Aren't they supposed to pick you up?"

"No, I –" A click sounded in Paige's ear, followed by the dial tone. She hit the call end button and stared at the phone in her hand.

'_What was that all about?'_ She was anxious, concerned about the other young witch. _'Maybe I should try and find him, scry for him.' _she wondered. He had sounded so odd on the phone… maybe he was in trouble. She stood abruptly, her mind made up.

'_After all, didn't I become a social worker to help people?'_ She headed quickly for the attic, leaving the hardly started paperwork scattered on the table.

'_It must be just destined not to get done.'

* * *

_

Piper sat in the hospital waiting room, Chris in her arms and Warren by her side.

"Aunty Piper, is Wyatt gonna be ok?" the four year old asked innocently. She smiled down at him, her gaze returning quickly to the door her husband and eldest son had disappeared through.

"I hope so, War. We'll have to wait and see what the doctor says." Her mind flashed back to that terrifying moment in the playground.

"_**Wyatt, why don't you go play with your cousin and brother?" Piper asked the small blonde boy on her lap. "Look, aren't Chris and Warren having fun with Daddy on the swings?"**_

"_**Don't wanna." Wyatt mumbled, his voice muffled by the thumb stuck in his mouth. He snuggled closer to his mother, who frowned. He had been fine that morning, but as soon as they had left the house, Wyatt had been cross and cranky, refusing to comply with any of the suggestions anyone had made, and clinging to Piper like a limpet.**_

'**I hope he's not coming down with anything.'_ She thought, feeling his forehead. _'A little warm, but not too bad.'_ The small child whimpered in her arms._**

"_**Mommy, my head hurts!" he cried.**_

"**_Hush, Wy, it's ok." She soothed, hushing him. "Leo!" she shouted over to the blonde man. He turned his head questioningly._**

"_**I'm going to take Wyatt home, o –" The small body slumped alarmingly in her arms. She stared down at him in surprise. He couldn't have gone to sleep that quickly.**_

"_**Wyatt, sweety, wake up. Wyatt! Come on, Wy, you need to wake up now…Wyatt!"**_

****

They had rushed straight to the hospital, and Leo and Wyatt were at that moment in with a doctor.

'_I haven't been this worried since Chris swallowed that marble.'_ She thought wryly. _'He has to be alright, he just has to.'_ She had called Cole a few minutes ago, and he had promised to bring Chris and Warren home while she waited with Leo and Wyatt. She thought she had heard Phoebe in the background, but dismissed the idea. Phoebe's date was at two o'clock, and it was 2:45 now. A tall figure came striding in the waiting room doors, a much slighter one at its side. Phoebe hurried up to her sister.

"Oh, Piper, are you ok? Have the doctors said anything?"

"No, they're still examining him. What are you doing here, Phoebe? Aren't you supposed to be on a date?"

"Yeah, long story. Jason just met Cole." She indicated the taller man, who had swung his son up into his arms as soon as he had caught sight of him. Piper stood, and Phoebe took Chris from her.

"Oh. That can't have gone too well." Piper said sympathetically. Introducing your current boyfriend to your ex-demon ex-husband wasn't something you had to do every day.

"It went better than I thought, actually. They got on really well. I was beginning to feel a bit left out." She grinned, and Piper could see the relief on her younger sister's face. She knew Jason was important to Phoebe, and obviously if Cole was going to be part of their lives, it made Phoebe's life much easier if the two got along.

"I'm glad. Not about the feeling left out part, obviously. Just the rest." Curiously, Phoebe coloured.

"Phoebe…"

"Hey, Piper. How are you doing?" Cole interrupted. She smiled at him, resolving to find out Phoebe's secret later.

"Uhh, I'm ok, I think."

"Did you want me to stay here with you, honey?" Phoebe offered, juggling a fussy Chris from one hip to the other.

"No, it's ok. If you could take care of Chris for me for a while I'd really appreciate it." She replied, smiling at her younger son and taking him for a quick hug and kiss before handing him back to his aunt.

"Ok. Just give us a call if you need us, alright?"

"I promise." Piper smiled. "Thank you too, Cole."

"It's no problem, Piper. Don't worry about it. Worry about your other son."

"Yeah. I'm – going to go find them. I'll see you guys later. Be good, all right Peanut? Bye Warren!" she headed off in the direction Leo and Wyatt had gone, leaving Cole and Phoebe to head for somewhere quiet nearby where they could leave without being seen.

**AnimeAlexis: **My God, am I actually updating this? And in the middle of Christmas tests, too! Shocking. :-) Oh, well. Leave me a review, please, and tell me what you thought!


	13. Physical or Magical?

**Summary:** Cole Turner has survived for 4 years without Phoebe, raising their son by himself. But what happens when young Warren wants his Mommy?

**Disclaimer:** When I buy it, I'll let you know it's mine.

**Chapter 12**

Paige tried to focus. She again picked up the crystal and held it over the map, hoping that this time she might actually find Joel.

_'This would be a lot easier if I had something of his.'_ She admitted to herself. Conjuring up a picture of him in her mind, she channelled her want to find him, to see if he was ok, into the swinging crystal.

'_Please work this time.'_ She pleaded. A pull on the string led her to the top corner of the map, where the crystal abruptly dropped. Taking not of the location depicted, she grabbed her coat and orbed.

"Joel?" she called out, hoping the crystal hadn't led her to the wrong place. Alleys like this – although she seemed to always find herself in them – were _not_ her favourite places to hang out. "Are you here? It's Paige."

"How do I know that?" a voice answered shakily. She tried to find the source, but it seemed to be coming from several different places at once. She frowned.

"Who else would I be?" No one replied, and she sighed. "Ok. I can see I'm only going to find you if I prove this, so… oh! I know you're a witch because you _tk'd_ my best eraser into one of my workmate's heads. And I orbed it back to my desk, because like I said, it's my best one and I kinda need it."

"Paige?" Joel came into view slowly, standing from where he had been hidden behind a dumpster. He was white as a sheet, and shivering as if from the cold.

"Of course." Paige smiled slowly. "Are you alright? Injured?" He shook his head.

"I'm ok. Thank you."

"For what?"

"For coming." He replied, as if it was obvious.

"Why wouldn't I? I could hardly leave you. Come on, let's get you back to my place, you can tell me what happened there." She proposed, holding out her hand for him to take. He stared at it cautiously before catching hold. Blue lights enveloped them as Paige orbed back to the Manor, reforming again in the kitchen.

"Now, you sit down and I'll get you something to eat. Do you want a drink?" she asked, bustling around the kitchen. She pulled the first aid kit down from its shelf and placed it on the table beside Joel. She reached for a plate then took some chocolate cookies out of the jar and brought them over to the silent boy. She gave him an appraising glance, checking to make sure he wasn't hurt anywhere. When she saw his hands she gasped. They were cut raw, bleeding profusely. She looked at her own hands and sighed to see them covered in the same blood. Without a word she popped open the first aid box and proceeded to clean and bandage his cuts, wondering again just what had happened to the boy.

* * *

"Well physically there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with Wyatt, Mrs. Halliwell. You have a very healthy young boy. As I explained to your husband, the problem could have a psychological basis. Is there anything new in Wyatt's life? Different sleeping arrangements, a new child?" the doctor enquired. Piper had looked for them for 10 minutes before finding the check out room, where she now sat beside Leo, who was holding a sleeping Wyatt in his arms.

"A new child?" Piper asked confusedly. "No, our youngest is two. Wyatt was only a year and a half when Chris was born."

"Hold on, Piper. There is someone new in Wyatt's life." Leo pointed out.

"Wait, you don't think Warren…" Piper asked. "No, it couldn't be. He wouldn't do something to hurt Wyatt!"

"Like I said, Mrs. Halliwell, the problem is more than likely psychological. It could be a jealous reaction, if you've been spending time with this Warren instead of with your own boys. Or it could be something completely different, some stress Wyatt is under. A new school, something like that. I can't be sure."

"But physically, he's healthy?" Piper confirmed. The doctor nodded.

"I see. Thank you for your help, doctor. It's much appreciated; I understand how busy you must be."

"It's not a problem. If you'd like, I can refer him to a counsellor…"

"No, that won't be necessary." Leo told her. "Thanks again."

"Leo, you cannot be serious!" Piper hissed as they made their way out to the car. "Warren's not like that, he wouldn't do something like hurting Wyatt! The two adore each other! They've been getting along great!"

"I'm not suggesting they haven't Piper. But she did say that Wyatt is healthy, that whatever's affecting him isn't a physical problem."

"So?" Piper couldn't see the point to Leo's speech.

"So it might not be psychological either."

"Well, if it's not physical and it's not psychological then what –? No. Oh, no, Leo. We bound them, they don't _have_ their powers anymore!"

"They didn't have their powers, Piper. That doesn't mean that they'll never get them back, that they haven't gotten them back."

"But how? And why now? They're not old enough to handle them, they're 2 and 4 for God's sake!"

"I don't know. And they might not actually have them. I'm just saying it's one of the options."

"But how are we going to keep them _safe_, Leo? Demons are going to be coming after them again, coming after _us_ again. Can we handle that?" she demanded, breathing getting shallower as she panicked.

"Piper, honey, calm down. It'll be ok. We'll figure something out." Leo deposited his sleeping son into his carseat and closed the door. Making his way around to where his wife was still standing outside the car door, he folded her into his arms comfortingly, dropping a kiss on her forehead. "You knew this was going to happen someday, sweetie. Let's just figure out whether or not that day is today right now."

"You're right. You're right, it may be something completely different." She inhaled deeply and pulled out of Leo's arms, sitting into the car.

"Mommy?" Wyatt mumbled from the backseat.

"Yeah, sweetie, mommy's here. Hey, how're you feeling?" she questioned softly, smiling back at her older boy as Leo got in the other side of the car.

"Mommy, my head hurts. Tell Daddy to be quiet, please?" the blonde requested tiredly. Piper glanced forward at her husband, who threw a worried glance back at Wyatt.

"I haven't said anything, buddy." Leo informed him.

"Yes, you did. You won't stop talking." Wyatt argued weakly.

"He'll try and be quiet, Wy." Piper assured him, sitting into her seat in the front of the car.

"Can you be quiet too, Mommy?" Wyatt added from the back.

"Ok, I'll try."

"Piper, what…?" Leo questioned, wondering what was on the witch's mind. She held up a hand to shush him.

"Damn, it was always Phoebe that was good at making spells up. I can't do it well."

"What do you need a spell for?" Leo whispered, anxious not to disturb Wyatt.

"To stop our son from hearing our thoughts, of course. Didn't you guess that?"

"No." Leo replied honestly. _'A telepath?'_

"What's a telpath, Daddy?" Wyatt mumbled sleepily.

"Aha!" Piper exclaimed triumphantly. "A little shabby, but it'll have to do.

To allow him some sleep,

To allow his mind clear,

Let our thoughts not be heard

By this young person's ear."

_'Wyatt?'_ Piper tried thinking. She got no response, although the small boy's eyes were still half open.

"Wy? Are the voices gone, honey?"

"Yeah." He sighed, snuggling into his carseat. "Thank you mommy."

"You're welcome sweetie." She said, watching as he fell into a real sleep.

"I guess that means that they have got their powers back then." Leo observed, turning the key in the ignition.

"Yeah. The question is, how?"

* * *

"Paige?" Phoebe called loudly as the Manor door swung open to admit her, Cole, and two noisy little boys. Joel jumped from his seat, and Paige was quick to reassure the scared young boy that he was in no danger.

"It's ok, Joel. It's just my sister and my nephews. We're in here, Pheebs!"

"We?" Phoebe asked, making her way to the kitchen with her entourage following behind. "Oh. Hi! I'm Phoebe Halliwell. And you are?"

"Uh, Joel. Joel Peterson. You're Ms. Matthews' sister? Are – are you a witch too?" Joel asked carefully.

"Um, Warren? Why don't you and Chris go upstairs and play with his toys?" Cole suggested, shooing the boys out the door.

"But Daddy! You said we could have cookies!"

"And you can in a minute. Oh, hey, I have an idea! Why don't we go and put on one of Chris and Wyatt's movies and I'll bring the cookies into you! How does that sound?"

"Yay!" Warren exclaimed, and dashed out to the front room, Chris toddling along behind him.

"You're quite good at the whole distracting thing." Phoebe complimented him as she went to organise something for the kids to eat.

"Well, it's a lot easier to distract kids than adults. Hey, can I get some of that?" he asked, as Phoebe poured glasses of milk for the two boys.

"You want some milk?" she asked dubiously.

"It's good for bones." He protested, grabbing a glass out of the cupboard.

"I'm not even going to ask." Phoebe decided.

"You see, my youngest nephew doesn't know about magic." Paige explained to Joel. "Like I said, this is my sister Phoebe Halliwell. And yes, she's a witch too."

"Retired." Phoebe added, holding out a hand for Joel to shake. He did, cautious of his newly bandaged hands. "Ouch! That looks nasty. Are you alright?"

"Fine." He answered quietly. "Nice to meet you."

"And this is Cole Turner. He's a close friend of the family. His son, Warren, was the other little boy you saw there."

"Really? I, uhh, thought he was yours, Ms. Halliwell."

"Please, call me Phoebe." The middle sister insisted.

"He won't. I've tried." Paige said, sending a grin the boy's way.

"So you know about magic, Joel?" Cole enquired curiously.

"Um, yeah. I'm a witch."

"Really? What powers do you have?" Phoebe questioned.

"Just the one. Telekinesis. You know, moving things with my mind?" he explained.

"Yeah, I know it." Phoebe smiled. "It's a cool power to have."

"Thanks." He grinned at her. "So – why did you say you're retired?"

"Because officially we are." Paige explained. "It's a long story. Why don't we get into it later? Do you want to bring these into the boys for me please? Maybe help them pick out a movie?"

"Um, sure. Ok." He agreed, taking the tray laden with milk (minus Cole's glass), and a plate of cookies through the door. "Just through here?"

"That's right. You can hear War and Chris anyway." Paige told him.

"Paige, who's the boy?" Phoebe asked, once Joel was out of earshot.

"Well, you remember I told you about the Peterson kid who I was watching for a while?"

"Was that the same day Sam came?" Phoebe confirmed.

"Yes. That's him."

"Great. What's he doing here? Wasn't he fostered?"

"Yeah. But I don't know what's wrong with him. I got a call from him this morning to come and pick him up. He was in an alleyway in the north of the city somewhere. I can't remember where exactly. He was twice as pale as he is now and shaking like a leaf. I think something had happened to him, maybe something to do with his foster family?"

"So what are you going to do with him?" Cole enquired. Paige popped her head around the door. Warren was bombarding a smiling Joel with questions, while Chris was holding up a DVD box, obviously wanting to watch it. She turned back to Cole and Phoebe.

"I don't know yet. But I can't send him back. What do you think?"

"Well, I don't see the harm in him staying here for the moment, until you sort this thing out. But you'll have to ask Piper." Phoebe told her.

"Or he can always stay at my place, I have a spare room." Cole offered.

"Thanks, Cole, but I think the social services won't really understand how he's commuting to and from New York." Paige replied.

"Well, for appearances he could be staying here. Pull out a campbed or make up a couch. Warren and I seem to end up here all the time anyway, it makes sense to have him come back and forth with us. I doubt he'll want to actually share a room with Wyatt and Chris, and bear in mind there are three women living here. He'll be less outnumbered at mine." He pointed out.

"You're not very good at taking no for an answer, are you?" Paige asked.

"No, I'm just logical."

"And a lawyer."

"What has that got to do with anything?"

"Lawyers have a way of twisting words around…"

_'And off they go again.'_ Phoebe sighed inwardly. _'Why me? What did I do in a past life to deserve this? Oh. Yeah, that. Stupid P. Russell.'_

**AnimeAlexis:** Ok, I don't know how many of you will get the update for this, I don't think the alerts are working. Review if you do come across it, and tell me how you did please!


	14. Moment of Truth

**Summary:** Cole Turner has survived for 4 years without Phoebe, raising their son by himself. But what happens when young Warren wants his Mommy?

**Disclaimer:** When I buy it, I'll let you know it's mine.

**Chapter 13**

"Ugh, fine!" Paige groaned. "I give up! Joel can stay with you for the moment. Well, as long as Social Services say it's ok for me to foster him."

"You want to foster Joel?" Phoebe grinned.

"Sure. It's the obvious solution, isn't it?" Paige shrugged. "Why? What's that grin for, Phoebe? You don't think I can do it?"

"Well, you just don't seem the mothering type." Phoebe replied honestly.

"So? Neither do you."

"I don't need to be a mothering type, Paige. I'm not fostering anyone." Phoebe replied.

"No, but you – ow, Cole!" Paige glared at him, rubbing her leg where the lawyer had kicked it. He narrowed his eyes at her, warning her silently to keep her mouth shut.

"You are an idiot, Paige." He told her solemnly, glancing at Phoebe to make sure she didn't suspect anything. The middle sister wasn't listening, however.

"Warren's calling you, Cole." She informed him, wondering why he hadn't heard his son's voice.

"Daddy!" the four year old called again, the sound of pattering feet alerting them to the fact that he was coming in. "Daddy, can we have popcorn?"

"What's the magic word, War?" Phoebe laughed, lifting him up.

"Umm…abracadabra?" he tried, ginning disarmingly at her. Cole and Paige laughed.

"Try again, sweetie. Puh – plll" Phoebe encouraged him. His face lit up as he realised what she was hinting.

"Please!"

"I'll get it." Paige offered, getting up. "Don't tell Piper we have these." She warned Cole, emptying one of the cupboards to pull a loose board from the back.

"Paige, you can't show him our stash!" Phoebe whined. "What if he tells Piper?"

"He's not going to tell Piper." Paige protested, rummaging in the cavity behind the cupboard. Cole made his way over to her, picking up food she had discarded in her hunt for the popcorn.

"Powdered lemonade? Pot noodle? Instant coffee? What is all this stuff?" he asked wonderingly.

"Aha!" Paige exclaimed, grinning in triumph as she pulled out…

"Microwaveable popcorn." Cole deadpanned. "This is your secret treasure trove?"

"Known to the very privileged few." Phoebe confirmed.

"Why is it so important?" Cole asked, confused.

"Remember me telling you Piper makes everything from scratch?" Paige questioned.

"Yes. Why?"

"Well, Phoebe and I can't cook that well. We freely admit it. So we like to cheat. But Piper doesn't, and if she saw that we had instant stuff around, well, you can probably imagine." Paige finished, shuddering. She tossed the microwaveable popcorn to Cole and began the process of replacing all their food.

"So you can't tell Piper. Right, War?"

"Yeah!" the youngster grinned. "It's a secret! Just like I'm not allowed to tell my mommy she's crazy." Cole's eyes boggled.

"Warren, you were _awake?!_" he spluttered, thinking back to the previous night. "I thought you were asleep! Why didn't you tell me?"

The logic of small children is incredible. The small boy looked at his father innocently before stating simply,

"You didn't axe." Cole groaned.

_'Please tell me I didn't say her name. Was this what that annoying voice was talking about earlier?'_

"Did your daddy say your mommy's name?" Phoebe asked slyly, trying to figure out the answer to the question that had been bugging her for a while. Just who _was _Warren's mom? Did they know her? Was she a mortal? A demon? Her excitement built as she waited for Warren's answer. She was disappointed as he shrugged.

"Nope." Cole heaved a sigh of relief.

"Popcorn's ready!" Paige chimed, pulling the bag out of the microwave and dumping it into a plastic bowl. "Now be careful with this, War. Ask Joel to hold it for you, ok? It's very hot."

"Kay." The small witch agreed, taking the bowl carefully in two hands. He left the room, leaving a thwarted Phoebe with her head in her hands and Cole with a small respite. This reprieve lasted all of 30 seconds as Phoebe became determined again.

"Cole, just who _is _Warren's mom?" she demanded.

"That's none of your business, Phoebe." Cole said smoothly. Paige looked uncomfortable, wanting to leave the room quickly.

"I'll go see if the boys are alright." She offered.

"No!" Cole and Phoebe barked simultaneously, both looking for support with their side of the argument.

"Paige, don't you want to know who your self-styled nephew's mother is? I mean, maybe Warren should be allowed to find out. Doesn't he have that right?"

"Honestly, I think that that's Cole's decision to make, at least until Warren's old enough to understand." Phoebe's jaw dropped.

"I can't believe I'm hearing this."

"Why do you want to know so badly, anyway?" Cole wanted to know. "How would it affect you?"

"I – I just do, that's all!" Phoebe blushed. No need for Cole to find out that she wanted to confirm that he really wasn't hers. She didn't even know herself why she was pressing the issue. She just knew she needed to know. One way or the other. "Cole, please!" she begged. "Maybe we can find her!"

"She abandoned Warren and I years ago. She doesn't deserve to know she has a son. She hurt us too much. She never had any faith in us. Why should she care that she has a son?"

"She would care." Phoebe argued.

"How do you know that?" Cole snapped back. "You don't know her."

"I would care." Phoebe answered quietly. "If he was mine, I'd want to know. To get the chance to know my son. Do you even know her reasons for leaving you? How do you know that she had a choice? For all you know, trying to let go of you both was the hardest thing she ever had to do. For all you know, she was forced!"

"We're not talking about Warren's mother now, are we?" Cole asked quietly.

"Cole." Paige warned. This was dangerous territory they were entering. Much as Phoebe and Cole needed to sort out their differences, if he wanted to keep his son's identity secret then he had to stop before he let something slip. Phoebe looked at the glances exchanged between the two before it clicked.

"You know." She breathed. "You know who Warren's mother is." Paige automatically denied the fact.

"What? No! No, of course I don't know who she is…sorry, Cole." She apologised, seeing she was caught.

"It's alright. It's probably my fault anyway." He reassured her. Knowing Phoebe would appeal to her sister next, he went on the offense before she had the chance.

"You don't need to know who Warren's mother is, Phoebe. She doesn't need to know, Warren doesn't need to know." He laced each word with venom, hoping to deter her from asking again. But Phoebe never had been scared of him.

"Paige knows." She protested. "We're as close to Warren as his own family. For God's sake, Cole, I love that boy as much as his own mother would! Can't you see that?!" she demanded.

"Read my lips, Phoebe Halliwell. It's _none of your business_!! He's my son, and I'm going to decide what's best for him!"

"But –"

"NO! No buts. For Christ's sake, Phoebe, HE'S NOT YOUR SON!!" The empath recoiled. The puzzle pieces all clicked into place, and Cole's denial suddenly confirmed what she had known all along.

"Oh my God. I was right." She whispered. "I was right all along, it was all there in front of me and I saw it but I just couldn't believe it and now it's all true?" the words tumbled out one after the other, her thoughts rushing out in order to make themselves known. She looked at her ex-husband in disbelief. "And you were never going to tell me, were you? You told my sisters but you were never going to let me know about him. Four years. FOUR YEARS!!"

"Four years what?" Paige asked cautiously. Phoebe directed her answer at Cole.

"Four years. _Four years_ you let me think that I HAD KILLED HIM!!" Not thinking about anything, not feeling anyone's anger but her own, she walked up to Cole and slapped him. All her guilt, everything she had suppressed over the years so it looked like she was fine, it all went into her palm. The force of the blow left her hand stinging and snapped Cole's head to the side. For a minute, there was silence, but for the sound of breathing. Cole's heavy pants combined with Paige's shocked shallow breaths. After a minute Paige realised she couldn't hear Phoebe. Looking closely at her sister, she saw that she was looking beyond Cole, making no movement.

"Oh no. Phoebe! Phoebe, breathe." She instructed, seeing her sister's face turn from a pale white to a lilac hue. "Phoebe, you need to breathe now. Phoebe!" The shout shook Phoebe out of her stupor. She gasped in a huge breath of oxygen and burst into tears. She slumped into a chair and looked up at Cole.

"I'm sorry." She said between sobs. Paige wrapped her arms around her sister, comforting her as Cole stood shocked.

_'No, shocked is the wrong word. What I'm feeling goes far beyond shock.'_ However, it was the only word he could think of to sum up the myriad of emotions welling in him at the moment.

'_Why did she say sorry?'_ he wondered, the statement striking him as odd. _'You don't find out you have a child, slap the person who kept him from you and then apologise. Why?'_ Paige and Phoebe looked at him, and he realised he had spoken the last sentence aloud. Unsettlingly, Phoebe answered him, seeming to know what he was talking about.

"You're right, it was all my f – fault, I should have h – had more faith in you, sh –should have known you loved m – me more than that. B – believe me, if I could take it all b-back…"

'_Shock is definitely the wrong word.'_ Cole thought. _'Maybe stunned? No, still too much of an understatement.'_

'**_I'll say.'_** The voice agreed. **_'I knew you couldn't keep it a secret forever, but that didn't quite go as expected.'_** The statement threw Cole off guard. It didn't sound like something an inner voice would say.

'_Just who _are _you?'_ he asked.

'**_Not the time.'_** The voice admonished. **_'Right now, you need to explain things to your wife.'_** Cole didn't even bother to correct him. He knelt in front of Phoebe so he was looking up into her face. Her sobs faded as he offered a sentence of his own.

"I should have told you." He said, reaching up to wipe the tears from her cheeks. "I was wrong."

**AnimeAlexis:** …I have absolutely no idea where that came from. A little bit emotional, huh? Well, at least now she knows! I know a lot of people were looking forward to that…umm, review?


	15. Shattering Your Own Illusions

**Summary:** Cole Turner has survived for 4 years without Phoebe, raising their son by himself. But what happens when young Warren wants his Mommy?

**Disclaimer:** When I buy it, I'll let you know it's mine.

**Chapter 14**

Phoebe sighed, her sobs having died away a minute or so earlier. Still, she was loathe to leave the circle of Paige's arms, needing the comfort her baby sister was offering. Right now her world had been turned on its head, and she didn't think she could move even if she wanted to, she felt so numb.

"How do I know you're real?" she questioned eventually. Cole frowned at the oddity of the question. "How do I know that this hasn't all been some crazy dream, or a spell? You could be a figment of my imagination, some way for my subconscious to alleviate my guilt."

"Guilt?" Paige asked carefully.

"I killed you." Phoebe told her ex-husband. "I killed _him_! My baby, my little boy…and now you're back? How do I know that you're not some shape shifter trying to gain my trust? Our trust?"

"To do what, Phoebe? You're retired, remember?" Cole pointed out. Phoebe looked stubbornly at him, and he sighed.

"What do you want to know for me to prove it to you?" he questioned.

"Tell me something no one else knows. Something personal." She challenged, shrugging. He thought for a moment, then pressed a finger softly to the side of her neck before removing it quickly.

"Sensitive spot." He shrugged at her questioning look. A noise turned their eyes to the door from the sitting room. Joel knocked on the doorframe before entering the room.

"Everything ok in here?" he asked hesitantly, not sure if he should interrupt. Paige stood and ushered him out, explaining the situation and reassuring him that this sort of emotional tension was normal for Phoebe and Cole. The two were left alone in the room, Phoebe still sitting slumped in the chair and Cole still kneeling in front of her.

"So you're not a shape shifter then?" Phoebe checked.

"Definitely not. Shape shifting or glamouring were never my powers, you know that. Well, beyond the whole demon/human form changing, anyway. If it was, you wouldn't have had to burn one of my best jackets to try and convince Prue and Piper that I was dead." Phoebe nodded at this answer, apparently satisfied that Cole was the real thing. He realised something, and stared at her curiously.

"You thought I was a shape shifter. You didn't automatically blame me. Why?" She looked startled as he said it, as if she had just noticed herself.

"I don't know. I don't seem to know anything anymore." Despite himself, Cole was beginning to concede that maybe Phoebe did care.

_**'Uh, duh.'**_

_'You shut up, whoever you are. I'm beginning to think that you're not me. And don't think I won't be asking to look at the Book of Shadows for a way to get rid of you.'_

_**'Touchy.'** _The voice commented. **_'But I am you, so you don't need to go looking to get rid of me.'_**

_'You're not me.'_ Cole argued.

**_'I am. Just a different you. Listen,'_** it said, seemingly changing the topic **_'did you ever think what might have happened if it had been the other way around? If it had been Phoebe that you had to vanquish for the sake of the world?'_**

_'I wouldn't have done it. She means more to me than that.'_ Cole replied firmly. He then bit his lip, hoping the voice hadn't caught the present tense. He shook his head.

_'So what, now I'm treating it as a separate person?'_ Apparently it hadn't noticed, however, as it continued on its rant.

**_'Or what if – and this is more probable – you had never found Warren? If you had never realised that your baby hadn't been evil, would you ever have tried to make your way out of Limbo? Wouldn't you still be stuck there now, watching the Halliwell family grow without them knowing? Without you being a part of it?'_**

_'What are you talking about?'_ Cole queried curiously. _'That's even less likely to happen.'_

_**'Not really.'**_ The voice replied mildly. **_'It's what happened to me.'

* * *

_**

"Cole…Cole, are you alright?" Phoebe asked, poking him. She prodded his shoulder again as he absently reached up and caught her hand, shaking his head as he seemed to come out of whatever internal discussion he had been having.

"Huh? What do you want, Phoebe?" he asked. She smiled.

"Well, my hand back for a start." He looked at his hand encasing her fingers and hurriedly dropped it.

"Sorry." He muttered.

"That's ok." She replied, putting her suddenly cold hand back on her lap. "What are we going to tell Warren?" she asked. He sighed.

"The truth, I suppose." He glared at her in annoyance. "Why did you have to find out? Everything was going so smoothly." She hesitated for a second before muttering something, seeming to try and screw up some courage before she looked him in the eye.

"I kind of knew already." She admitted. "I just denied it."

"Why? Didn't want to admit that you and I could possibly have made something together?" he accused. Dammit, this wasn't going as planned. He had wanted to be calm if she ever found out. Not bitter, like this. Not disappointed, like he was now. He had told himself he was long over being disappointed in Phoebe.

"I didn't want it to hurt anymore." She told him heatedly. "I didn't want another disappointment."

"What do you mean, another disappointment?" Cole asked. "You've never tried to contact us before."

"Never tri – Cole, for a while, after you died, I tried to contact you every night! I even tried to summon Warren!"

"Even though you thought he was evil." Cole replied dubiously.

"Even though I thought he was evil." Phoebe answered, seeing he still didn't believe her. "But I didn't know you were alive! I thought They just wouldn't let you see me!"

"Let us see you…you summoned our ghosts?" Phoebe nodded, continuing her story.

"So I pretended I had moved on, I played by Their rules. And when you came back…" By this time she was crying again. "You came back, and it tore my heart to make you leave again. And then you went and got yourself killed!" she stared accusingly at him. "You went and antagonised Paige to the point where she vanquished you!" she heaved a shuddering breath and exhaled, trying to calm herself. "Eventually I convinced myself that what I was pretending to everyone else was real. That I hated you, that you had ruined my life, that I had never had a son. Shattering your own illusions is a hard process, Cole." He was at a loss, words stuck in his throat as his brain froze.

"Phoebe, I didn't know…why didn't you tell me?" She laughed.

"Oh yeah, I can just imagine how that conversation would have gone. 'By the way, Cole, I don't hate you, I'm just pretending to so you'll go away and stay alive.' Yeah, you would really have listened to me."

"I would have stayed." He told her. "I would never have left you alone. If you wouldn't come with me, I would've stayed." He told her.

"Exactly. You were so stubborn, you would never have listened. Maybe you were just supposed to get yourself killed."

"It led me to Warren."

"I know. And I don't blame you for taking him."

"Why didn't you tell me? I would have come back for you, you could have known him then, we could have been a family!"

"You think I don't blame myself for that? You think I haven't thought that a million times since you came back? I missed so much! Everything…his first step, first day at school, first tooth, his first word…" He chuckled.

"You didn't miss much there. It was Sam. I was quite offended. Imagine, he was speaking about his Whitelighter before me!"

"That's because Whitelighters kick ass. We're the best!" Paige told them. They turned to face her, Phoebe noticing that her sister's eyes were red.

"Paige, how long have you been standing there?"

"A while." The brunette admitted. "We thought you were summoning Prue." She told Phoebe. "We had no idea you weren't over him…we never knew."

"Yeah, well, I guess I'm just a good actress."

"Umm, Paige? I thought you said Chris didn't know about magic?" Joel called, at the same time that Warren's voice whined

"Daddy! Make Chris stop moving the movie!" Paige dashed into the living room, followed by Phoebe, who stopped to help Cole up when she noticed he was stuck kneeling on the floor. She tutted and heaved him to his feet before running after Paige. Her jaw dropped as she saw Paige standing motionless next to the floating TV. Both Halliwell sisters stood stunned as Joel lectured the two year old and made anxious downward motions with his hands.

"Chris, Warren and I were watching that! You're not playing very nicely. Now, come on, let me put the TV down! Help." He pleaded with Paige and Phoebe. "He won't put it down."

"Oh, right. Um, TV!" called Paige, willing the set to dematerialise and reappear on the floor. Chris folded his arms and pouted, something he had seen Warren and Wyatt do when they didn't get their way.

"That is so degrading." Joel complained.

"What is?" Cole asked curiously.

"A toddler is stronger than I am!"

* * *

"We're home!" Piper called a while later, as the front door slammed shut.

"Ssh!" four voices hissed from the kitchen. Leo went to put the sleeping Wyatt upstairs while Piper made her way in to the rest of her family.

"Warren and Chris are asleep." Phoebe explained.

"Oh, ok, good. We've got something to discuss."

"Like the fact that your younger son refused to put the TV down when he was told?" Paige asked.

"I…he what? Chris was levitating things!"

"Just the television. And he's strong. Even with Joel working against him, he didn't falter."

"Yeah, but I wasn't trying very hard." Joel protested, trying to retain some pride. Phoebe made a face at him, while Cole and Paige gave similar dubious looks. "What? I wasn't!"

"Uh huh." Paige said.

"I'm sure it was just because he's very stubborn, sweetie." Phoebe comforted. "Once Chris starts something, he won't stop."

"He's like his mother that way." Cole grinned. At the word 'mother', Phoebe started.

"Does Piper know?" she demanded.

"Know what?" Piper asked confusedly. Cole flinched.

"She was the first to find out." He mumbled.

"Find what out?" a clueless Piper queried.

"You've _got_ to be kidding me. The _first_? You didn't tell me and you knew _before everyone else_?" The light clicked on.

"Uh oh." The eldest Charmed One muttered. "I'm going to go and check on my sons now."

"Yes, 'son', Piper. That's exactly the thing we're going to talk about. I can't believe you didn't have the…" Phoebe's voice faded as she hurried out of the room after her older sister, who had her fingers plugged firmly in her ears. Leo made his way into the kitchen as they left, a bemused look on his face. Cole summed the situation up in two words for him.

"Phoebe knows."

"Oh." Leo replied, face clearing. "That explains it. How'd she take it?"

"Well." Cole replied cheerfully. Paige nodded.

"She only slapped him, and only once. No demonic accusations or anything."

"Um, Paige? That's your job." Cole accused.

"Nuh uh." She protested.

"Uh huh." He retorted. They continued in this vein for a while, Leo commenting to an astonished Joel

"Welcome to the madhouse."

* * *

Phoebe sat down on the edge of Wyatt's bed. It had been commandeered for the time being by her small son, who lay sleeping peacefully, face buried in the pillows.

_'My son.'_ She thought, sighing. _'I still can't believe it.'_ She tucked him in, kissing the small forehead softly. Piper fussed at the bed across from her, making sure the top to tailed Chris and Wyatt were alright. She held a hand against Wyatt's forehead, grinning in relief when it wasn't too hot.

"You would have been proud of me, Pheebs. I made a spell without it backfiring." She commented lightly.

"You've done that before." Phoebe said softly, unsure of how light a sleeper Warren was. She felt her heart twinge painfully.

_'These are things I should know about him.'_ She thought guiltily.

"Piper?"

"Hmm?" the older witch acknowledged Phoebe without words, still focusing on making sure her older boy wasn't hearing things. She didn't trust her own spell, especially when she was so out of practise.

"Do you know Warren's birthday?" The question startled her, and she stared suddenly at her younger sister.

"You don't?" Phoebe shook her head.

"I know when his due date was. But Cole hasn't told me, and I didn't think it was really my business to ask. I just – he – he's my baby, Piper. I'm his mother and I could have – and for years I thought I did – and now he's so big and beautiful and I've missed all those moments, and…do you know, I swear I loved him all along? When I was trying to pretend he was evil, when I wasn't sure if he was mine, and now… You must have all thought I was so dense. Not realising who he was, especially when he levitated! He was using my powers! But…can someone this perfect really be mine?"

"Well, he's part Cole too, so he can't be that perfect." Piper joked. The two laughed quietly in the darkened room. "When are you going to tell him?" she asked.

"I don't know. Can I? Have I the right to disrupt his life like that?"

"He wants to know you. He called you." Piper reminded her.

"Yeah, but he doesn't really need me. He's gotten along for four years without me. And I'm the one who screwed up his life in the first place." Phoebe protested. Piper snickered.

"You know how much you sound like Cole right now?"

"Well, maybe he's right." Phoebe sulked.

"Don't be an idiot, Phoebe. Cole's wrong. You know it, he knows it, I know it. Warren needs to know who his mother is, who you are. For better or worse, you're in his life now. Could you watch him grow up as an observer? Even if you claim him as your nephew, can you just stand by and watch him? As a child, a teenager, an _adult_? Without him knowing who you are. While he calls _you_ Aunt Phoebe, and some other woman mom?"

"No." Phoebe whispered.

"I didn't think so." Piper said. "Oh, and Pheebs?"

"Yeah?"

"December 2nd."

**AnimeAlexis:** If you haven't guessed who the voice is by now then you have never watched Charmed. I've spelled it out! And I'm sorry this took so long but I got hit by the worst disease ever known to humankind. Writer's block. It sucks, you know. But hey, this is – as far as I know – the longest story chapter that I've ever written, so it kinda makes up? No? Sorry. I'll try very very very very hard not to keep you waiting so long the next time, I swear! And I'll try and cut down on the emotional stuff. Review please, you know I love hearing from you guys! You're why I write!

Oh, yeah! That's what I was gonna say. How many people read other fandoms, out of curiosity? Cos I have a friend who pretty much sticks to one, or possibly two, at a stretch. So does my sister, actually. But I read pretty much anything. A fanfiction category is one of the first things I check for if I've read or watched something and I like it. What do you guys think? I'd love to know!!


	16. We're Family

**Summary:** Cole Turner has survived for 4 years without Phoebe, raising their son by himself. But what happens when young Warren wants his Mommy?

**Disclaimer:** When I buy it, I'll let you know it's mine.

**Chapter 15**

As Piper and Phoebe were having their heart to heart upstairs, Paige was making notes on the house and trying to get through to Joel's social worker to get his details and talk to her about fostering him.

"No luck." She sighed eventually. "Bel's not answering her phone. Maybe you could help me out with some of this stuff until she gets my message and calls me back?" she asked the teen. He shrugged.

"What do you need to know?"

"Um, ok. Let's start with your parents first. Names, dates of birth, their parents, stuff like that. And your date and place of birth would help too."

"Well, I was born in San Francisco General. September 4th, 1992. My mom's name is Pia Peterson. Her birthday's the 12th of January, 1969. My dad's got the same name as yours, actually."

"What? Paige?" asked Cole.

"No, I think he means Matthews." Leo told him quietly. Cole aahhed in understanding and Paige shook her head, a grin gracing her features.

"Is he Matthews?" she checked with Joel. The boy nodded.

"Yeah. Andrew Matthews." Paige looked interestedly at him.

"Really? Huh."

"What?" Leo questioned.

"Oh, nothing. My dad's brother's name is Andrew, but I haven't talked to him in years. He and dad had some big fight a while back, and I didn't see him much after that. I wasn't even sure if he would come to my parents' funeral. He did show up, though. He didn't come for the wake, I think he stayed at the grave for a while. I don't even know where he is now." She tapped her pen to the paper, then shook her head. "Anyway, go on, Joel."

"Ok, well, he was born April 10th, '69 again. He was younger than mom. And my grandparents on my dad's side ar – were Mark and Jane Matthews."

"What? No way." Now Paige was more than shocked, and it was Cole's turn to enquire what she was thinking about.

"I just…but they're…no way." She repeated.

"Something wrong, Ms – Paige?" Joel wondered.

"Where did they live? Your grandparents. In San Francisco?" Paige demanded, ignoring his question.

"Um, no. Not exactly. In the suburbs. 1524 Wood –"

"Woodview Terrace." Paige finished. "Ok, that's it. The Elders are out to give me a heart attack." She decided. "First Phoebe, and now this…"

"Paige, what are you talking about?" Leo asked.

"His grandparents. Joel's dad's parents."

"Yes? What about them?" Cole motioned for her to continue as she trailed off.

"They're mine too."

* * *

_**A knock sounded at the door to Patty Halliwell's bedroom.**_

"_**Go away, Sam! Leave me alone!" she sobbed. It was Saturday, or so she hoped. It felt like she had been crying for days without stopping. Her mother Penny, after much persuasion, had agreed to take Prue, Piper and Phoebe to their father's house, to spend some time with him. The door creaked open, and Patty stifled her tears. Demons didn't use doors, but Sam knew to leave her alone…**_

"_**Patty?" a soft voice called, and suddenly she was enfolded in her mother's arms. "Oh, sweetie. I'm so sorry. I should have told you, warned you…"**_

"_**What? How much it was going to hurt? How it feels as though my heart is being pulled from my chest? How could you possibly know how I feel, mom? I've just given up my **_**baby daughter**_**. She'll never get to play with her sisters, never get her powers, she won't know I'm her mother, won't know how m-much I love her!" The tears she had stifled upon her mother's entrance into the room were flowing freely again now.**_

"_**What you did was for the best, Patty. It's keeping your baby girl safe, and allowing your other daughters to come into their birthright. Your baby will have a good life, Patty. I'm sure of it."**_

"_**How do you know how it feels?" her daughter asked bitterly. "Oh, Goddess, I just want her back! How can you possibly know what I'm going through?" Penny bit her lip.**_

"_**I've never told you this, Patty. You've never needed to know, but…I once had – a fling. With a demon."**_

"_**That's good to know." Patty said sarcastically. "What does it have to do with my daughter?"**_

"

* * *

"I can't believe you're my cousin!" Paige cried excitedly, after quizzing Joel to find out if his relatives were, in fact, her own through her adopted family. He though his grandparents _might _have had another son, though he'd never spoken to his uncle. Yes, he did have a second cousin Albert on his father's side. Yes, he did remember the horrible gnome in his grandparents' back garden – the one with the leaf umbrella and the chipped off nose above his pout? His powers _were_ from his mother's side, as far as he knew, and he had of course heard about the family's claim to fame, Penny Day Matthews – Oh, the old time actress! – .

"I didn't think any of my relatives were even still alive! They could never get in contact with anyone after dad –" he cut himself off.

"Joel, do you know where your father is? Is he still alive?" Paige asked enthusiastically.

'_Maybe we could contact him!' _her family reunion bubble burst as Joel shook his head.

"He used to go away on business a lot, even while Mom was sick. I suppose he couldn't hack the pressure. His plane crashed into the Atlantic on his way to Europe on one of the trips. About 3 years ago now. Mom was told she was terminal shortly after." Understandably, he seemed hesitant to continue talking, so Paige quickly changed the topic.

"Well, what about your other grandparents?"

"They're still around. They live near Chicago, though, and I didn't want to leave, not when Mom's grave is here…I don't think they would have been able to look after me anyway, because Social Services didn't force me to move. Umm, I don't know if you should put them down on the sheet, they're not really my mom's parents. Well, they are her real parents, but they're not."

"Your mom was adopted?" Paige understood instantly. Joel nodded.

"I don't think she ever went looking for her birth family. I did, once. When mom was told how long she had to live…I thought she might want to get to meet them. Grandma Peterson said that Mom's birth mother got in contact with her through an adoption agency. She chose my grandparents as the best couple to raise my mother."

"Did you ever find her? Get her name?"

"Umm, if you don't want me here it's ok, you know." Joel proclaimed suddenly.

"What? No! Why would you think we don't want you?"

"Well, you just seem to want to…"

"Joel, we're not trying to get rid of you." Cole reassured him. "Besides the fact that Paige is one of your few contactable relatives, I'm looking forward to having someone else around for Warren. He's already fond of you."

"Don't you _want_ to get to know your grandmother?" Leo asked. Paige nodded.

"When I found these guys, I was thrilled. Dysfunctional as it is, you belong to this family. You poor thing." She grinned to show she was joking as Leo frowned at her.

"Leo, face it. The Halliwell family is dysfunctional." Cole snorted. Paige nudged him.

"Yeah, and you're family too, now. But you fit in perfectly." Leo sniggered at Cole's indignant look. "But Joel," she asked, turning again to her cousin, "don't you want to find everyone? In case you ever get sick of us." He shrugged.

"Not really. If I can make it work with you I don't need to know anyone else."

"Aww!!" Phoebe, coming through the doorway with Piper at her heels, pitched forward and gave Joel a sudden hug. Nobody so much as blinked.

"Um, I'm taking it that she does this a lot?" Joel looked at the gathered people. He earned a variety of nods. "Ok." He tolerated the hug patiently, and Phoebe eventually pulled back.

"Well, if you don't want us to contact her, that's ok. But do you want me to find out the name, in case you ever change your mind?" Paige checked.

"No need. Grandma knew that, so she told me when I asked. It's Penelope Halliwell."

**AnimeAlexis: **Don't ask. I know, it's been what, 3 months since I updated? Yikes. Well, at least it's summer now! I'm not too too happy with this chap. Yep, it's pretty much another filler. But! We've now got the second plot arc. Sorry to leave you hanging, but this time I know it will definitely not be so long until I update. Please review, even if it's just to yell at me for being late! Again. :-)


End file.
